Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday identified the Navy SEAL killed over the weekend in Yemen as Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens.
The Pentagon said Owens, 36, was from Peoria, Illinois, and died Saturday in Yemen “of wounds sustained in a raid against al Qaeda.”
“Ryan gave his full measure for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest standard of military service,” Mattis said. “The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors.
“I thank our gallant troops and their families for their dedication to protecting this nation, and I pass our respects to Ryan’s family in this most difficult time,” he said.
Owens was assigned to an “East Coast based Special Warfare unit,” the release said. Reports have said that the unit is the secretive SEAL Team 6, the same unit that conducted the deadly raid on Osama bin Laden in 2011.
It is believed to be the first U.S. combat death of President Trump’s administration.
The raid on Saturday, which targeted al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, also injured three service members. Another was wounded when a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft assisting in the operation made a hard landing, according to a release from U.S. Central Command, bringing the total number of wounded to four.
The raid killed 14 members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and collected information that will give insight into the planning of future terrorist attacks, U.S. Central Command said.
Jacqueline Klimas contributed to this report.
