Hagel: U.S. hostage ‘murdered’ in Yemen

Luke Somers, shown in 2013, was abducted in September of that year from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. (Hani Mohammed/AP)

By Missy Ryan,, Karen DeYoung and Adam Goldman December 6 at 10:49 AM

An American journalist was killed by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen during an attempt by U.S. forces to rescue him from captivity, the Pentagon said Saturday. Another hostage, a South African, also perished.

Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula threatened to kill Luke Somers, an American photojournalist, after U.S. commandos attempted to free him. (Reuters)

Hagel U.S. Hostage ‘Murdered’ in Yemen by Thavam Ratna