[DoD] – An estimated 14 al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorists were killed Saturday during a raid by U.S. forces in Yemen, according to a U.S. Central Command news release.
One U.S. service member died of wounds suffered in the raid, and three others were wounded, the release said.
The names of the deceased and wounded service members are being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin, the release said.
“In a successful raid against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula headquarters, brave U.S. forces were instrumental in killing an estimated 14 AQAP members and capturing important intelligence that will assist the U.S. in preventing terrorism against its citizens and people around the world,” President Donald J. Trump said in a statement issued today.
Trump added, “Americans are saddened this morning with news that a life of a heroic service member has been taken in our fight against the evil of radical Islamic terrorism. The sacrifices made by the men and women of our armed forces, and the families they leave behind, are the backbone of the liberty we hold so dear as Americans, united in our pursuit of a safer nation and a freer world. My deepest thoughts and humblest prayers are with the family of this fallen service member. I also pray for a quick and complete recovery for the brave service members who sustained injuries.”
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our elite service members,” Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel, Centcom’s commander, said in the Centcom release. “The sacrifices are very profound in our fight against terrorists who threaten innocent peoples across the globe.”
A U.S. military aircraft assisting in the operation experienced a hard landing at a nearby location, resulting in an additional U.S. injury, according to the Centcom release. That aircraft was unable to fly after the landing. The aircraft was then intentionally destroyed in place.
The raid is one in a series of aggressive moves against terrorist planners in Yemen and worldwide, according to the Centcom release. Similar operations have produced intelligence on al-Qaida logistics, recruiting and financing efforts.
Department of Defense Identifies Navy Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a U.S. Navy sailor who was supporting U.S. Central Command Operations.
Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, 36, of Peoria, Illinois, died Jan. 28 in the Arabian Peninsula of Yemen, of wounds sustained in a raid against al-Qaida.
He was assigned to an East Coast based Special Warfare unit.
For more information, contact U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs at 619-537-2826 or jason.salata@socom.mil.
Centcom: Civilians Likely Killed in Yemen Firefight
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2017 — A team designated by the operational task force commander has concluded that civilian noncombatants likely were killed in the midst of a firefight during a Jan. 29 raid in Yemen, and that casualties may include children, U.S. Central Command officials said last night.
In a statement, Centcom officials said the ongoing credibility assessment seeks to determine whether any still-undetected civilian casualties took place in the ferocious firefight that also claimed the life of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens and wounded three other U.S. service members.
The known possible civilian casualties appear to have been potentially caught up in aerial gunfire that was called in to assist U.S. forces in contact against a determined enemy that included armed women firing from prepared fighting positions and U.S. special operations members receiving fire from all sides, including from houses and other buildings, officials said.
Assessment Continues
“This complex situation included small-arms fire, hand grenades and close air support fire,” the statement said. “Analysts are carefully assessing whether additional noncombatant civilians that were not visible to the assault force at the time were mixed in with combatants.”
The raid resulted in the seizure of materials and information that is yielding valuable intelligence to help partner nations deter and prevent future terror attacks in Yemen and across the world, officials said.
“Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has a horrifying history of hiding women and children within militant operating areas and terrorist camps, and continuously shows a callous disregard for innocent lives,” Centcom spokesman Air Force Col. John J. Thomas said in the statement. “That’s what makes cases like these so especially tragic.”
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