The U.S. military says one service member was killed and three others wounded in a raid targeting al-Qaida in Yemen.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our elite service members," said Commander of US Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel. "The sacrifices are very profound in our fight against terrorists who threaten innocent peoples across the globe."
A statement from the U.S. Central Command said 14 fighters from the local al-Qaida affiliate were killed in the operation.Officials said the raid was carried out by the Navy's Seal Team Six counterterrorism unit.
A U.S. military aircraft involved in the operation was disabled following hard landing, resulting in an additional U.S. injury, the statement said, adding that the the aircraft was destroyed.
A White House statement said the "successful raid against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula" captured "important intelligence that will assist the U.S. in preventing terrorism against its citizens and people around the world."
Tribal and local sources say three alleged senior al-Qaida leaders were among those killed.
The military operation occurred in Bayda province.
