U. S. service member killed in first Trump terror raid

A U. S. service member was killed and three others wounded in a raid against al- Qaeda militants in Yemen, the first such operation ordered by President Trump.

The raid resulted in the deaths of 14 militants and the capture of critical intelligence, the U. S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said Sunday in a statement.

A U. S. military aircraft involved in Saturday’s raid experienced a “hard landing” and had to be destroyed to avoid having it fall into enemy hands. The incident resulted in additional injuries, according to Central Command.

“This is one in a series of aggressive moves against terrorist planners,” the statement said. “Similar operations have produced intelligence on Al- Qaeda logistics, recruiting and financing.”

President Trump said in a statement that the raid against al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula headquarters captured “important intelligence that will assist the U. S. in preventing terrorism against its citizens and people around the world.

“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 statement said. “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.”

This appears to be the first counterterrorism raid by the Trump administration, which has vowed to take a hard line against radical Islamic groups.