U.S. service member killed in Yemen raid against al Qaeda

One U.S. service member died and three others were wounded after a raid in Yemen against al Qaeda, the U.S. Central Command said Sunday.


It was the first combat death since Donald Trump became president on Jan. 20. The president authorized the operation, a defense official said.

Three senior al Qaeda leaders and 14 militants in all were among those killed, according to a U.S. official.
Also, one U.S. service member was injured during a hard landing of V-22 Ospre during the operation. The aircraft was destroyed in place because it couldn't be flown again, defense officials said.

The raid was not directed at "site exploitation," which is a military term to describe intelligence-gathering actions.

The raid occurred in the Gaifa region in Yemen's northern Baitha province, Yemeni officials told CNN.
  [upi.com]
29/1/17