Breaking: U.S. Hostage Killed in Failed Raid

News is coming over the wires right now that Luke Somers and South African teacher Pierre Korkie, held hostage in Yemen by al-Qaeda terrorists, were killed during an attempted rescue raid by American special forces yesterday.

Here’s some of the BBC account up in just the last few minutes:

UK-born US journalist Luke Somers and South African teacher Pierre Korkie have been killed by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen during a failed rescue bid.

Saturday’s operation was carried by joint US and Yemeni special forces in the southern, Shabwa region. . .

A US official told the New York Times that Mr Somers, 33, was apparently shot by his captors as the raid unfolded and was badly wounded when the US forces reached him.

By the time he was flown to a US naval ship in the region, he had died from his injuries, the official was quoted as saying.

UPDATE: Here’s a fresh account from the Wall Street Journal of how the raid went down.

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