Hostage killed in failed rescue attempt

Mark Thompson has a Time article about a hostage rescue in Yemen that went wrong:

American hostage Luke Somers, held by an al-Qaeda offshoot in Yemen for more than a year, was killed in a US rescue mission.
“There were compelling reasons to believe Somers’ life was in imminent danger,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. “Both Somers and a second non-US citizen hostage were murdered by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terrorists during the course of the operation.” The second victim was South African teacher Pierre Korkie.
President Obama issued a statement saying he’d authorized the rescue attempt after the terrorists holding him “announced Luke would be killed within 72 hours”.
“I’m looking for any help that can get me out of this situation,” Somers said in a video (above) posted by his captors on YouTube the same day. “I’m certain that my life is in danger. So, as I sit here now, I ask if there’s anything that can be done, please let it be done.”
The rescue raid, conducted by a Special Forces team, was the second acknowledged attempt to rescue Somers. Following the first attempt on 25 November 2014, Somers’ captors had said he would kill him if certain “well known” actions were not taken, and warned a second rescue attempt would lead to his death.
Hagel gave few additional details about the mission, other than to say it took place in central Yemen, “in partnership” with the Yemeni government.
Lucy Somers, Luke’s sister, told The Associated Press that the FBI told her of her brother’s fate. “We ask that all of Luke’s family members be allowed to mourn in peace,” she said.
Before the failed raid, the White House denied any suggestion that it had delayed the original rescue attempt to debate its risks. One hostage rescued in that mission said Somers had been moved from the initial raid site shortly before the rescue attempt took place.
Somers, a 33-year old freelance reporter, had been kidnapped in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a fifteen months ago.
Hagel said “several” AQAP terrorists were killed in the current raid; seven of them were killed in the first raid.

Rico says the South Africans might well be asked to go along on the next one; they're pretty good at killing terrorists, too...