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U.S. Commando Killed in Yemen Marks First Combat Death Under Trump

A Yemeni man walks past cars destroyed in fighting with al Qaeda militants in Yemen / AP
January 30, 2017

A U.S. commando was killed in Yemen on Sunday during a raid authorized by President Donald Trump targeting al Qaeda militants.

The death is the first known combat casualty of an American service member since Trump took office on Jan. 20, the Associated Press reported.

The firefight with members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula also wounded three troops. A fourth service member was injured during a hard landing of a military aircraft assisting in the mission nearby, according to U.S. Central Command. The MV-22 Osprey was destroyed in the landing.

"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," Trump said in a statement. "My deepest thoughts and humblest prayers are with the family of this fallen service member."

The hour-long raid killed an estimated 30 people, including some 14 militants. The mission was planned for weeks under the Obama administration and used members of Seal Team 6, BuzzFeed reported.

Among those killed was the 8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al Qaeda militant who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Yemen in 2011.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said U.S. troops during the mission "captured a whole host of information about future plots that's going to benefit this country and keep us safe."