Hostages killed in failed rescue bid in Yemen

Raid ordered by President Obama to free American
photojournalist held by al -Qaeda also kills South African
teacher .
Two hostages held by al -Qaeda fighters in Yemen have been
killed during a failed US -led rescue attempt .
American photojournalist Luke Somers and South African
teacher Pierre Korkie , held by Al- Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP ) , died during the rescue operation in the
southern Shabwa province on Saturday.
The raid had been ordered by US President Barack
Obama over perceived " imminent danger '' to Somers.
At least 10 al - Qaeda fighters were killed in the raid besides
the hostages .
AQAP had posted a video online threatening to kill
Somers, apparently prompting the rescue attempt by
American forces backed by Yemeni ground troops .

The US first tried to free him on November 25, which
resulted in the rescue of eight other captives but not Somers,
who had been moved by his captors before the raid .
Somers, 33, who was abducted in September 2013 while he
worked as a freelance photojournalist for the Yemen
Times newspaper , died from injuries sustained during the
rescue attempt .
Lucy, Somers' sister, was quoted by the Assoicated Press
news agency , as saying that she was informed by the FBI
of his death .
"We ask that all of Luke’ s family members be allowed to
mourn in peace, " she said .
For its part, Gift of the Givers , a South African Islamic
aid group , which was helping with negotiations to secure
Korkie ' s freedom, said he was to be released on Sunday
and his wife was told only on Saturday morning that " the
wait is almost over ".
In a statement, Gift of the Givers said : "We received with
sadness the news that Pierre [ Korkie ] was killed in an
attempt by American Special Forces , in the early hours of
this morning, to free hostages in Yemen .
"The psychological and emotional devastation to Yolande and
her family will be compounded by the knowledge that Pierre
was to be released by al -Qaeda tomorrow . "
'Compelling reasons '
Speaking in Kabul on Saturday during a visit to
Afghanistan, Chuck Hagel, US defence secretary, said
there were "compelling reasons" to believe Somers' life was
in danger before the rescue operation was launched.
"Yesterday by the order of the president of the United
States, US special operations forces conducted a mission in
Yemen to rescue a US citizen Luke Somers and any other
foreign nationals held hostage with him , " he said .
"There were compelling reasons to believe Somers ' life was
in imminent danger . "
The New York Times said Somers was shot at by his
captors as the joint raid by US and Yemeni forces unfolded
and was badly wounded when the commandos reached him .
He died while being flown to a US naval base in the
region, according to a report on the newspaper' s website .
Nasser Arrabyee, a Yemeni journalist, told Al Jazeera the
fighters originally tried to escape with Somers , but decided
to shoot him when they found themselves surrounded.
In the video released by AQAP on Thursday, Somers
was seen pleading for help while his captors gave warning
that " he would meet his inevitable fate" unless their demands
were met within three days .
Somers was a regular contributor to Al Jazeera English ,
chronicling anti -government protests in Sanaa and
documenting ordinary people ' s voices through this
photography.
Paying tribute to Somers, Imad Musa , head of Al
Jazeera English Online , said : "Between 2011 and 2013,
Luke' s insightful reporting and photos from Yemen were
always welcome on our website.
"The world has lost the voice of a brave human being and
open-minded journalist who could deftly explain the
complexities of the situation in Yemen . "