Al Qaeda militants killed American hostage Luke Somers in Yemen during a raid conducted by U.S. forces to rescue him, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday.
President Barack Obama ordered the raid because "there were compelling reasons to believe Mr. Somers' life was in imminent danger," he said.
During the raid Friday, the militants also killed a second hostage, South African Pierre Korkie, according to his employer, Gift of the Givers.
It was the second such attempt by U.S. forces in two weeks.
In the first attempt in November, U.S. and Yemeni special forces outfitted with night visors embarked on the mission about a few miles from a cave where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- or AQAP -- was holding hostages.
A gunbattle ensued, and the special forces killed all seven abductors and freed eight hostages. But the militants had separated Somers and four more hostages from the group and moved them to another location two days before the raid.
This week, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a video threatening to kill Somers and showing the American photojournalist pleading for his life.
A spokesman read a statement saying Somers would meet his inevitable fate if Washington did not meet the terror group's demands. The spokesman did not name the demands but said the U.S. government knew what they were.
They gave U.S. officials three days to comply. That time was due to run out.
Family pleaded for his life
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