President Trump lamented Sunday the loss of the first member of the United States military under his administration in “the fight against the evil of radical Islamic terrorism.”
In a statement, Trump discussed the “successful raid” in Yemen that killed 14 members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, before thanking the fallen service member, who he called “heroic.”
“In a successful raid against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) headquarters, brave U.S. forces were instrumental in killing an estimated 14 AQAP members and capturing important intelligence that will assist the U.S. in preventing terrorism against its citizens and people around the world,” Trump said.
“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 the statement. “The sacrifices made by the men and women of our armed forces, and the families they leave behind, are the backbone of the liberty we hold so dear as Americans, united in our pursuit of a safer nation and a freer world.”
“My deepest thoughts and humblest prayers are with the family of this fallen service member,” Trump said. “I also pray for a quick and complete recovery for the brave service members who sustained injuries.”
As of Sunday morning, the name of the fallen service member was not released as their family had not been notified. In addition to the death, four U.S. service members were wounded in the operation.
According to the Associated Press, three senior al Qaeda leaders, were killed in the attack: Abdul-Raouf al-Dhahab, Sultan al-Dhahab, and Seif al-Nims.
