US hostages Luke Somers and SA pierre korkie killed during Yemen rescue bid

UK-born US journalist Luke
Somers and South African
teacher Pierre Korkie have been
killed by al-Qaeda militants in
Yemen during a failed rescue
bid.
Saturday's operation was carried out
by joint US and Yemeni special
forces in the southern Shabwa
region.
US President Barack Obama
condemned the "barbaric
murder" of both hostages.
They were being held by militants
from al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP), regarded by the
US as one of the deadliest offshoots
of al-Qaeda.
The group is based in eastern
Yemen and has built up support
amid the unrest which has beset the
impoverished country since the
overthrow of President Ali Abdullah
Saleh in 2011.
Analysis: Frank Gardner, BBC Security
correspondent
This is America's third failed hostage
rescue mission in the Middle East in
less than six months.
In July its Special Operations
commandos launched a raid on an
Islamic State hideout near Raqqa in
Syria in a bid to free James Foley and
other US and British hostages. They
were too late: the men had been
moved just days earlier.
The same thing happened in
November with Luke Somers in
Yemen. US operatives found the
cave in a remote province where al-
Qaeda had been hiding him and
other hostages. They freed a
number of captives but once again,
the westerners had been moved
only days before.
In this latest raid in Yemen their
intelligence was accurate. They
correctly located where Luke
Somers was being held. But once his
captors were aware they were
being attacked they killed both him
and Pierre Korkie proving that
hostage rescues are notoriously
risky and have only a limited chance
of success.
'Imminent danger'
President Obama said he authorised
the raid to rescue Mr Somers and
other hostages held in the same
location.
He said information had "indicated
that Luke's life was in imminent
danger".
Both Mr Somers and Mr Korkie were
"murdered [by] terrorists during the
rescue operation", Mr Obama said.
He offered his "thoughts and
prayers" to Mr Korkie's family,
saying: "Their despair and sorrow at
this time are beyond words".
A charity working with Mr Korkie
said that they had expected his
release on Sunday, and that the US
rescue attempt had "destroyed
everything".
Teacher Pierre Korkie (right) was
seized in Yemen in May 2013
A number of militants were also
killed in the operation.
Senior US officials, speaking on
condition of anonymity, told AP
news agency that they believed
both men were shot by their captors
as the raid unfolded, and eventually
died of their injuries.
Both hostages were alive when US
forces rescued them, pulling them
onto a plane that flew to a nearby
US naval ship, officials said.
However, Mr Korkie is believed to
have died during the flight, while Mr
Somers died on the USS Makin
Island, they added.
A spokesman for South Africa's
Department of International
Relations told local media: "We
were informed this morning that Mr
Pierre Korkie was killed in an
operation by American forces to
rescue hostages, that he was caught
in the crossfire."
US special forces were in possession
of Mr Korkie's body, which would be
repatriated to South Africa,
spokesman Nelson Kgwete added.
'Very much loved'
Mr Somers was born in Britain and
UK relatives have been mourning
his death in Kent.
His step-mother, Penny Bearman,
told the BBC that he was "very much
loved" by people in Yemen.
"Luke was a peace-loving person
who cared for the Yemeni people
and the Yemeni struggle," she said,
speaking from Deal. "It is a tragedy
that his life should end in this way.