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2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen

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In late 2014, the United States and Yemen conducted a series of military operations to rescue multiple hostages held by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). U.S. involvement in the missions were likely to have been motivated by the captivity of American journalist Luke Somers, who was kidnapped by AQAP in 2013.[3][4] The first raid, attempted on 25 November 2014, involved American and Yemeni special forces assaulting a cave in Hadhramaut governorate housing the hostages, killing seven AQAP fighters in the process. The raid rescued eight hostages of various nationalities, but they did not include Somers or South African teacher Pierre Korkie, who were moved to another area alongside three other hostages prior to the raid.[4]

2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen
Part of the al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen and the War on Terror

United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at a press conference after the rescue mission.
DateFirst attempt: 26 November 2014 (2014-11-26)
Second attempt: 6 December 2014 (2014-12-06)
Location
Yemen
Result

First attempt

  • Mission successful
  • Eight hostages freed
  • Somers and four other hostages moved to different location

Second attempt

  • Mission failure
  • Luke Somers and Pierre Korkie killed
  • Other three hostages unfound
Belligerents
 United States
Yemen		 al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Commanders and leaders

United States Barack Obama
United States Chuck Hagel
United States Raymond A. Thomas
Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi

Yemen Ali Hasan al-Ahmadi		 Jamal Mubarak al-Hard al-Daghari al-Awlaki †
Strength

First raid:
 United States

Yemen

  • Small group of special forces

Second raid:
 United States

Yemen

  • Small number of Yemeni soldiers

7 AQAP guards (first raid)

6 AQAP guards (second raid)
Casualties and losses
1 Yemeni soldier wounded (first raid)[1] 13 killed (7 in first raid, 6 in second raid)
2 hostages killed
8 Yemeni civilians killed[2]

Later in December, AQAP released a video threatening to kill Somers, prompting another rescue mission on 6 December 2014 in Shabwah governorate. Navy SEALs attempted to infiltrate the AQAP compound containing the hostages, but they were prematurely spotted by the guards, leading to a firefight. Upon entering the compound, Somers and Korkie were found mortally wounded, while the other hostages were missing. Both Somers and Korkie died while being transported to receive care.[5] Somers' death, occurring five months after the failed rescue attempt of James Foley, resulted in scrutiny over the United States' hostage policy.[6][7][8] No other ground operations in Yemen would be officially acknowledged by the U.S. government until 2017 during the Raid on Yakla.[9]

Background

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Kidnapping foreigners has been a tactic used in Yemen since the 1990's in order to receive concessions from the Yemeni government or the hostages' nation.[10] Yemeni tribesmen, particularly in the south, mostly haven't harmed their hostages, usually using kidnappings in order to force the government to improve their living standards and local infrastructure, as well as to release imprisoned members of their tribe.[10][11] Formed in 2009, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has often used foreigner kidnappings for monetary gain, demanding ransoms for their hostages in order to fund their activities.[10][12] AQAP ammases significant revenue from ransoming foreigners, with the group amassing a reported $30 million from kidnappings between 2011 and 2013.[12] Yemeni officials stated in early 2014 that around 30 percent of kidnappings in the country were perpetrated by AQAP.[12] Luke Somers, a British-born American citizen and freelance journalist who worked for multiple local news agencies such as the Yemen Times and the National Yemen, was kidnapped by the group in Sana'a in September 2013.[13]

First raid

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Preparation

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According to a Yemeni special forces soldier present in the raid, the operation was conceived after Yemeni intelligence identified AQAP members transporting 11 enchained hostages covered in blankets via pickup trucks.[14][15] The hostages were driven to a cave which was about 10 meters deep and 30 meters wide, and 109 km away from the hamlet of Hajr as-Say'ar in Hadhramaut.[15][16] The mission was organized within two weeks after Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi contacted the United States government for support in the operation.[17] Hadi may have authorized the mission in an attempt to improve his image and relationship with the United States amid the Houthi takeover of Sana'a just months earlier.[18][3]

Raid

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During the pre-dawn hours of 25 November 2014, a team of thirty soldiers composed of about two dozen U.S. Navy SEALs from DEVGRU leading a small group of Yemeni special forces flew via helicopters into Hajr as-Say'ar district.[16][19][20] Dividing into four groups, the soldiers travelled 7 km through the mountainous area until reaching the cave, an AQAP shelter containing the hostages. One group of SEALs, equipped with night-vision goggles, opened fire on seven AQAP fighters 100 yards away from the entrance of the cave, who were caught by surprise from the nighttime assault.[15][21] After the firefight ended with all seven AQAP guards dead, the SEALs entered the cave and found eight imprisoned hostages, them being six Yemenis, one Saudi Arabian and one Ethiopian, along with AQAP cellphones and documents.[4][16] The SEALs were extracted with the hostages via MH-60 helicopters piloted by 160th Night Stalkers personnel.[22] The hostages inside the cave informed them that five other hostages, including Somers and Korkie along with a Brit, a Yemeni and a Turk, were moved two days prior to the mission.[15][4] No American forces were injured in the mission, though one Yemeni soldier was lightly wounded.[23]

Second raid

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AQAP threat

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On 4 December 2014, AQAP released a video threatening to execute Somers within three days if the American government failed to meet unspecified demands.[24][25] AQAP also said that Somers would be killed if another attempt to rescue the hostages was launched.[26] The same day, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby officially acknowledged the United States' involvement in the raid in November as well as their inability to retrieve Somers.[27][28] On 5 December, U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel determined that Somers' life was in "imminent danger" and that the government had enough intelligence on the location of the hostages to conduct another raid to free the captives.[29] The raid was approved mid-morning on December 5.[30]

Raid

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Dafaar
class=notpageimage|
Location of Dafaar in Yemen.

On 6 December 2014 at approximately 1:00 a.m. AST (UTC+3), a group of forty DEVGRU soldiers were transported in two V-22 Ospreys from the USS Makin Island to the Wadi Abadan in Nisab District, Shabwah, about 10 km from the compound where Luke Somers and Pierre Korkie were being housed.[31][29] Despite U.S. officials stating that only their forces were present in the raid, the Yemeni government and local residents reported Yemeni soldiers participating in the operation.[32] The compound was a house belonging to suspected AQAP member Saeed al-Daghari in Dafaar, a remote, mountainous village that had 20-40 homes within it.[32][31] The compound was being guarded by about half a dozen AQAP gunmen.[31] After hiking to Dafaar, while the SEALs were about 100 yards away from the site, an AQAP member relieving himself outside or a barking dog may have alerted the guards, leading to a firefight that lasted for about 10 minutes.[30][33] Tribal leader Tarek al-Daghari al-Awlaki stated that DEVGRU soldiers raided four houses in the area during the operation, killing an AQAP commander identified as Jamal Mubarak al-Hard al-Daghari al-Awlaki along with two other AQAP members, as well as eight civilians including a woman, a 10-year-old boy and a 70-year old man.[32][31] Once the SEALs killed the militants and entered the compound they found Somers and Korkie with several gunshot wounds, possibly inflicted by an AQAP guard who ran into the house shortly after being alerted to the DEVGRU raid before returning to the firefight.[29][28][30] American medical personnel treated the wounded hostages on the ground before they left on Ospreys to the USS Makin Island for further treatment.[34][30] Korkie died while being operated on during the flight and Somers died while undergoing surgery abroad the vessel.[34] The entire operation took 30 minutes, with American forces killing six AQAP fighters and suffering zero losses.[30]

Hostages

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Nationalities and status of the hostages[16][15][3]
Country Number Status
  United States 1 Killed
  Yemen 7 6 rescued, 1 unknown
  Saudi Arabia 1 Rescued
  Ethiopia 1 Rescued
  South Africa 1 Killed
  United Kingdom 1 Unknown
  Turkey 1 Unknown
Total 13 8 rescued, 2 killed, 3 unknown

Aftermath

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Reactions

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In a written statement released after the second raid, Barack Obama offered condolences to the families of Somers and Korkie and condemned their execution by AQAP, labeling it a "barbaric murder".[35][28][36] He reaffirmed the United States' counterterrorism and hostage rescue policy and the American government's opposition to negotiating with terrorists.[31][25] While on a visit to Afghanistan, Chuck Hagel praised the operation as "extremely well-executed" while acknowledging its risk.[37] He defended the decision to go through with the rescue mission as there were "compelling reasons to believe Somers' life was in imminent danger."[38] U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that the execution of Somers and Korkie was “a reminder of the brutality of the terrorists.”[39] On 8 December 2014, while delivering a speech at the 2014 Saban Forum in Washington, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden offered condolences to the family of Somers while praising U.S. Special Forces for their "incredible job" and the Yemeni government for their cooperation.[40] The same day, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said to reporters that Obama "does not regret at all" his decision to authorize the mission to rescue Somers, citing AQAP's intent to execute Somers by the day of the raid.[41] Chuck Hagel later stated that the U.S. would not review their hostage rescue policy despite acknowledging it's "risk" and "imperfection".[42]

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation issued a statement expressing their "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims, announcing that Korkie's body would be returned to South Africa by December 8.[43][29][28] At a press conference in Pretoria, Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane defended the United States' attempt to free the hostages, stating that "the intentions were good, but the result was not what we wanted."[44] Shadow foreign minister of the Democratic Alliance party Stevens Mokgalapa called upon the South African government to “urgently engage with American representatives to get to the bottom of the circumstances that led to Mr. Korkie’s death.”[45]

On 12 December 2014, AQAP released a video through their al-Malahem Media Foundation in which they blamed Obama for making the "wrong decision", stating that the American government ignoring negotiations and proceeding with the rescue mission lead to Somers' death.[46]

At the time of the raid, US special operations forces were unaware of the identity of the second hostage, Pierre Korkie. Korkie's release was imminent and had been negotiated by the South African organization Gift of the Givers. The organization's leader Dr. I. I. Sooliman said that the failed rescue had "destroyed everything".[36]

In a statement released on 8 December 2014, Somers family said they did not give the green light for the rescue operation and the ordeal could have been solved with more dialogue and less fighting.[47]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Yemeni forces free hostages, kill kidnappers". 25 November 2014.
  2. ^ NY Times, 2 Hostages Killed in Yemen as U.S. Rescue Effort Fails, By KAREEM FAHIM and ERIC SCHMITTDEC. 6, 2014, "In the village where the rescue attempt took place, in the southern province of Shabwah, a tribal leader, Tarek al-Daghari al-Awlaki, said the American commandos had raided four houses, killing at least two militants but also eight civilians."https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/world/middleeast/hostage-luke-somers-is-killed-in-yemen-during-rescue-attempt-american-official-says.html
  3. ^ a b c Onyanga-Omara, Jane (2014-11-27). "U.S. journalist was sought in Yemen hostage raid, report says". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  4. ^ a b c d Martinez, Luis (2014-11-27). "Yemenis Say American Moved Days Before Special Ops Mission to Free Hostages in Yemen". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2014-12-01. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  5. ^ "Hostages Luke Somers and Pierre Korkie killed during rescue attempt in Yemen". CBC. 2014-12-06. Archived from the original on 2014-12-07. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  6. ^ MacAskill, Ewen (2014-12-08). "Failed Yemen rescue attempt highlights US forces' recent poor recovery record". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  7. ^ "U.S.-led hostage rescues rarely successful, always dangerous - CBS News". CBS News. 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  8. ^ Thompson, Mark (2014-12-07). "Handicapping the SEAL Raid to Rescue Luke Somers in Yemen". Time. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  9. ^ Schmitt, Eric; Sanger, David E. (2017-02-01). "Raid in Yemen: Risky From the Start and Costly in the End". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-11-23. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  10. ^ a b c Al-Muslimi, Farea (2014-03-31). "In Yemen, kidnapping is a business". Executive. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  11. ^ "16 Western tourists reported kidnapped in Yemen". CNN. 1998-12-28. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  12. ^ a b c Fanusie, Yaya J.; Entz, Alex (2017-07-24). "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Financial Assessment" (PDF). Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  13. ^ "Profile: Luke Somers". BBC News. 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  14. ^ "Yemen rescuers sought U.S., British hostages in raid". Reuters. 2014-11-27. Retrieved 2024-11-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ a b c d e Starr, Barbara; Levine, Adam (2014-11-27). "Raid frees eight hostages from al Qaeda stronghold, U.S. and Yemen say". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  16. ^ a b c d "Al-Qaida escapes with British and American hostages before US special forces raid in Yemen". The Guardian. 2014-11-27. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  17. ^ Schmitt, Eric (2012-11-25). "U.S.-Led Raid Frees 8 Qaeda Hostages From a Yemeni Cave". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  18. ^ Seldin, Jeff (2014-11-26). "US Commandos Take Part in Yemen Rescue Mission". Voice of America. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  19. ^ Gardner, Frank (2014-11-27). "Yemen raid: Rescuers missed Western hostages". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  20. ^ Onyanga-Omara, Jane (2014-11-28). "Report: SEALs led raid to find U.S. hostage in Yemen". Military Times. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  21. ^ Vanden Brook, Tom; Cummings, William (2014-11-26). "U.S. commandos rescue 8 hostages in Yemen". USA Today. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  22. ^ Neville, Leigh (2015). Special Forces in the War on Terror. Oxford. pp. 302–303. ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8. OCLC 889735079.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  23. ^ "Yemen: Eight al-Qaeda hostages rescued in Hadramawt". BBC News. 2014-11-25. Archived from the original on 2024-04-17. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  24. ^ "US forces raid al-Qaida hideout in Yemen; hostages reported killed". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  25. ^ a b "Barack Obama condemns 'barbaric murder' of Luke Somers". The Telegraph. 6 December 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-07-24. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  26. ^ Barnes, Julian E.; Abi-Habib, Maria (6 December 2014). "American Hostage Luke Somers Killed in Rescue Attempt". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2014-12-17. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  27. ^ Kirby, John (2014-12-04). "Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby on Rescue Operation in Yemen". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  28. ^ a b c d "US, S. African hostages killed during rescue bid in Yemen". France 24. 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  29. ^ a b c d Starr, Barbara; Sciutto, Jim; Sanchez, Ray (2014-12-06). "U.S.: Al Qaeda kills hostages during SEALs raid in Yemen". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  30. ^ a b c d e Martinez, Luis; Raddatz, Martha; Candea, Ben (December 8, 2014). "How Navy SEALs Tried Rescuing al Qaeda Hostage Luke Somers". ABC News. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  31. ^ a b c d e Fahim, Kareem; Schmitt, Eric (2014-12-06). "2 Hostages Killed in Yemen as U.S. Rescue Effort Fails". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-04-01. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  32. ^ a b c Ghobari, Mohammed; Mukhashaf, Mohammed (2014-12-07). "Thirteen killed in failed U.S. hostage rescue bid in Yemen". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  33. ^ Thompson, Mark (2014-12-07). "Handicapping the SEAL Raid to Rescue Luke Somers in Yemen". TIME. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  34. ^ a b Al-Haj, Ahmed; Pace, Julie (2014-12-06). "Obama condemns murder of U.S. hostage in Yemen". Global News. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  35. ^ "Statement by the President on the Death of Luke Somers". White House. 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  36. ^ a b "Yemen raid: US 'unaware' hostage Korkie was with Somers". BBC News. 7 December 2014.
  37. ^ "Luke Somers, South African killed in failed U.S. rescue attempt - CBS News". CBS News. 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  38. ^ "US, South African Hostages Killed in Yemen Rescue Attempt". Voice of America. 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  39. ^ Stelter, Brian (2014-12-06). "U.S. on slain hostage Somers: 'Yemen has lost a friend today'". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  40. ^ Maloney, Suzanne (2014-12-08). "In a Speech to the 2014 Saban Forum, Vice President Joe Biden Plays the Mensch and Tries to Dispel "Malarkey"". Brookings Institution. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  41. ^ "Obama Has No Regrets Over Failed Luke Somers Rescue Mission". ABC News. 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  42. ^ Smith, David; Lewis, Paul; Salisbury, Peter (2014-12-08). "US will not review rescue operations after hostages' deaths, says Hagel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  43. ^ Kgwete, Nelson (2014-12-07). "Government on death of kidnapped South African, Pierre Korkie". South African Government. Retrieved 2024-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ "Mort d'un otage sud-africain au Yémen: Pretoria ne veut pas critiquer Washington". africaradio.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  45. ^ Campbell, John (2014-12-09). "Restrained South African Reaction to the Murder of Pierre Korkie | Council on Foreign Relations". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  46. ^ Adaki, Oren (2014-12-12). "AQAP blames Obama administration for death of Luke Somers". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  47. ^ "عائلة الرهينة الأمريكي المقتول باليمن تقول إنها لم توقع على محاولة إنقاذ ابنها". CNN Arabic. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
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