All 12 boys and their football coach have been rescued from a Thai cave after an 18-day ordeal, the Thai Navy SEALs said in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening, on the third day of a complex mission to bring them out.

"All 12 'Wild Boars' and coach have been extracted from the cave," the post said."All are safe" it added, signing off with a "Hooyah", a SEALs signature throughout the painstaking mission to get the boys out of the cave.

Four SEAL team divers - including a doctor - who stayed with the group were still to emerge, the Facebook post added.

In a day of high drama, the remaining five boys emerged in groups as evening approached, guided out by international divers and the SEALs, who have played an integral role throughout an unprecedented rescue mission.

The "Wild Boars" - named after their team - entered the Tham Luang cave complex on June 23.

News24