An American journalist and South African teacher have been killed in Yemen, after US and Yemeni security forces launched a rescue attempt to free hostages being held by al-Qaeda militants.
US Secretary of State John Kerry confirmed the deaths of Luke Somers and Pierre Korkie, who were being detained by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
The bid to free the hostages also saw 10 militants killed in the raid. The operation was approved following “compelling indication that Luke's life was in immediate danger,” said the Secretary of State.
US President Barack Obama condemned “the barbaric murder of Luke Somers at the hands of Al-Qa'ida terrorists”, adding that “the United States will spare no effort to use all of its military, intelligence, and diplomatic capabilities to bring Americans home safely, wherever they are located.”
“Terrorists who seek to harm our citizens will feel the long arm of American justice,” continued Obama in a statement released on Saturday.
“We remember Luke and his family, as well as the families of those Americans who are still being held captive overseas and those who have lost loved ones to the brutality of these and other terrorists. We remain determined to do our utmost to bring them home, and to hold those who have done them harm accountable.”
A Yemeni security official told Reuters that three other hostages a Briton, a Turk and a Yemeni, were also being held by AQAP, but stated there was no new information on their whereabouts.