US soldier killed during Yemen op

Aden, Jan. 29: Elite US forces launched a dawn raid against Al-Qaeda in Yemen on Sunday, killing at least 14 suspected jihadists in an operation in which an American soldier also died.

The assault marked Washington’s first major military action in Yemen under President Donald Trump, who has vowed to step up the US fight against Islamic extremism.

The US military said the raid in the Yakla region of Baida province killed 14 members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which Washington views as the global network’s most dangerous branch.

A Yemeni provincial official gave a higher toll of 41 presumed militants and 16 civilians killed in the raid, including eight women and eight children.

Washington did not specify how the US soldier died. It said three more American servicemen were injured in the raid along with a fourth who was hurt in a “hard landing”, without providing details.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our elite service members,” said General Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command in Tampa, Florida.

A civil war in Yemen between Iran-backed rebels and pro-government forces has killed more than 7,000 people since March 2015 and allowed extremists, including AQAP and ISIS to gain ground.

Local officials said an Al-Qaeda chief in the region was also killed in the raid. — AFP

US raid targeted the houses of three tribal chiefs linked to Al-Qaeda.

APACHE helicopters also struck a school, a mosque and a medical facility which were all used by Al-Qaeda militants.