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2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen

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2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen
Part of Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)

United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at a rescue mission press conference.[1]
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 not found at the first location

Second attempt

  • Mission failed
  • Two hostages, including Somers, killed
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 Mahmoud al-Subaihi		 Jamal Mubarak al-Hard al-Daghari al-Awlaki †
Strength

 United States

Yemen

6 AQAP guards (second raid)
Casualties and losses
1 Yemeni soldier wounded[2] 13 killed
(7 in first raid, 6 in second raid)
2 hostages killed
8 Yemeni civilians killed[3]

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 primarily motivated by the captivity of American journalist Luke Somers, who was kidnapped by AQAP in 2013.[4][5] The first raid, attempted on 26 November 2014, involved U.S. Navy SEALs and Yemeni forces assaulted a cave in Hadhramaut governorate housing the hostages. The team engaged AQAP guards near the cave, killing seven fighters. The raid rescued eight hostages of various nationalities, but they did not include Luke Somers or South African teacher Pierre Korkie, who were moved to another area alongside three other hostages prior to the raid.[5]

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 housing the targets, but they were prematurely spotted by the guards, leading to a firefight. Upon entering the compound, Somers and Korkie were found shot, while the other hostages were missing. Both Somers and Korkie died while being transported to receive care.[6]

Background

[edit]

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.[7] 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.[7][8] 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.[7][9] AQAP ammases significant revenue from ransoming foreigners, with the group amassing a reported $30 million from kidnappings between 2011 and 2013.[9] Yemeni officials stated in early 2014 that around 30 percent of kidnappings in the country were perpetrated by AQAP.[9] 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.[10]

First raid

[edit]

On 26 November 2014, a reinforced troop of U.S. Navy SEALs from DEVGRU supported by US-trained Yemeni special forces launched nighttime hostage rescue mission on a small number of caves in Hadhramaut Governorate. They landed at an off-set helicopter landing zone several kilometres away and patrolled on foot to the target area. In their assault on the cave, they killed 7 AQAP terrorists with one Yemeni SOF operator minorly wounded.[11] 8 hostages, none American, were freed, but Luke Somers and four others had been moved to another location by AQAP prior to the raid.[12][13] The nationalities of the eight hostages rescued were six Yemenis, one Saudi, and one Ethiopian or Nigerian. The SEALs conducted SSE and MH-60 helicopters flown by Nightstalkers extracted them.[14][11]

AQAP threat

[edit]

On 4 December 2014, AQAP released a video threatening to execute Somers within three days if the American government failed to meet unspecified demands.[15][16] AQAP also said that Somers would be killed if another attempt to rescue the hostages was launched.[17] The next day, U.S. President Barack Obama 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.[18]

Second raid

[edit]

On 6 December 2014 at approximately 1:00 a.m. AST (UTC+3), a group of 40 DEVGRU soldiers were transported in two V-22 Ospreys from the USS Makin Island to the Abdan Valley in Shabwah governorate, about 10 kilometers from the compound where the hostages were being housed.[19][18] The compound, a house belonging to a man known as Saeed al-Daghari according to the Yemeni government, was located in the village of Dafaar, a remote, mountainous area which was an AQAP stronghold.[20][19] The compound was being guarded by about half a dozen AQAP gunmen.[19] While the SEALs were about 100 yards away from the site, an AQAP fighter relieving himself outside or a barking dog may have alerted the guards, leading to a firefight that lasted for about 10 minutes.[21][22] 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.[20] Tribal leader Tarek al-Daghari al-Awlaki claimed that DEVGRU soldiers raided four houses in the area during the operation, killing an AQAP commander known 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.[20][19] Once the SEALs cleared the area and entered the compound they found Luke Somers and Pierre Korkie shot, possibly by an AQAP guard who ran into the house shortly after being alerted to the SEALs before returning to the firefight.[18][21] DEVGRU medical personnel treated the wounded hostages on the ground before they left on Ospreys to the USS Makin Island.[23][21] Korkie died while being operated on during the flight and Somers died after the Ospreys landed on the vessel.[23] The entire operation took 30 minutes, with American forces killing six AQAP fighters and suffering zero losses.[21]

Hostages

[edit]
Nationalities and status of the hostages[4]
Country Number Status
 United States 1 Killed
 Yemen 6 Rescued
 Saudi Arabia 1 Rescued
 Ethiopia 1 Rescued
 South Africa 1 Killed
 United Kingdom 1 Unknown
Unknown 2 Unknown
Total 13 8 rescued, 2 killed, 3 unknown

Reactions

[edit]

Barack Obama condemned the "barbaric murder" of Somers. "The callous disregard for Luke's life is more proof of the depths of AQAP's depravity, and further reason why the world must never cease in seeking to defeat their evil ideology," he said in a statement.[16][24][25]

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".[26]

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.[27]

See also

[edit]
  • Captive, documentary series in which the Pierre Korkie hostage situation was featured.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "American, South African hostages killed in Yemen". The Seattle Times.
  2. ^ "Yemeni forces free hostages, kill kidnappers". 25 November 2014.
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ a b c Al-Muslimi, Farea (2014-03-31). "In Yemen, kidnapping is a business". Executive. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  8. ^ "16 Western tourists reported kidnapped in Yemen". CNN. 1998-12-28. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Profile: Luke Somers". BBC News. 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  11. ^ a b 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)
  12. ^ "US troops played key role in Yemen rescue mission". AOL. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  13. ^ Barbara Starr; Jim Sciutto; Ray Sanchez (6 December 2014). "Hagel: Al Qaeda kills American hostage during U.S. raid - CNN.com". CNN.
  14. ^ Martinez, Luis (November 27, 2014). "Yemenis Say American Moved Days Before Special Ops Mission to Free Hostages". ABC News.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ a b "Barack Obama condemns 'barbaric murder' of Luke Somers". The Telegraph. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  17. ^ Barnes, Julian E.; Abi-Habib, Maria (6 December 2014). "American Hostage Luke Somers Killed in Rescue Attempt". WSJ. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  18. ^ a b c 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.
  19. ^ a b c d 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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ a b c d 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.
  22. ^ Thompson, Mark (2014-12-07). "Handicapping the SEAL Raid to Rescue Luke Somers in Yemen". TIME. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ McDuffee, Allen (6 December 2014). "American Hostage Luke Somers Killed in Rescue Attempt". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  25. ^ "US hostage Luke Somers dies after rescue bid". BBC News. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  26. ^ "Yemen raid: US 'unaware' hostage Korkie was with Somers". BBC News. 7 December 2014.
  27. ^ "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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