iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The Navy SEAL killed in the raid on senior al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leaders in Yemen on Sunday has been identified as Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens.
According to a Pentagon statement, Owens, 36, of Peoria, Illinois, died “of wounds sustained in a raid against al-Qaeda.”
“I extend my condolences to the family and shipmates of Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens,” said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in a statement.
“Ryan gave his full measure for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest standard of military service,” said Mattis.
“The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors,” he added. “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.”
The Pentagon statement did not specify what unit Owens served with other than saying he was “assigned to an East Coast-based Special Warfare unit.” His Navy records indicated that he joined the Navy in 1998 and had been serving with the Navy Special Warfare units since 2002.
Officials have told ABC News that the raid on the al-Qaeda compound in southern Yemen was carried out by SEAL Team Six, the elite Naval special operations unit involved in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
Six other U.S. servicemembers were injured in the raid. Three of them were injured in the firefight with the AQAP fighters, while three others were injured when the Marine MV-22 Osprey aircraft they were aboard was damaged in a “hard landing.”
The raid targeting three senior leaders with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was intended to gather intelligence on the terror group that could be used to prevent future terror plots.
Fourteen al-Qaida fighters were killed in the raid on the compound, including some women who had fired at the American forces.
“We saw that female fighters ran to pre-established positions, as though they had trained to be ready, and trained to be combatants and engaged with us,” said Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. Davis characterized the female fighters as legitimate combatants.
The Pentagon is still assessing reports that children may have been killed in the raid, but a U.S. official said there were no internal indications that was the case.
Authorized by President Donald Trump, Davis said the raid had been planned for months and that former President Barack Obama had been aware of the planning.
“There were operational reasons why it happened when it did and not two weeks ago,” Davis emphasized.
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