US begins inquiry on Yemen raid

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

The U.S. military said Thursday it is investigating last weekend’s raid by U.S. special operations forces in Yemen and that innocent civilians, including children, were apparently killed.

U.S. Central Command said civilians may have been hit by gunfire from aircraft called in to assist U.S. troops, who were engaged in a ferocious firefight with militants from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the group’s Yemen affiliate.

The military said the civilians may not have been visible to the U.S. forces because they were mixed in with combatants in the compound who were firing at U.S. troops “from all sides to include houses and other buildings.”

The Pentagon disputed published reports that the operation was compromised and that U.S. troops lost the element of surprise in the assault on the compound.

The Pentagon said the U.S. special operations forces conducted the raid to get valuable information and intelligence, including about potential operations by al-Qaida against the United States and the West.

The plan, Central Command said, was to “go in, conduct a raid, grab things and go.” When the fight broke out, the team “needed to call in this support in order to ensure that they could get out and not lose their lives.” Fighter aircraft and helicopters responded to provide cover from the air for the forces, which included a Navy SEAL team.

Nasser al-Awlaki told the Associated Press among the children killed was his 8-year-old granddaughter Anwaar, an American citizen.