A U.S. Special Operations member died of injuries suffered during a weekend raid against al-Qaida militants in Yemen, the military said Sunday.

Three other American troops, members of a Navy SEAL unit, were wounded in the operation Saturday against members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. The militant organization has remained a potent threat amid an extended civil war in Yemen.

The incident marks the first time a member of the U.S. military has died in combat since President Trump took office a little more than a week ago. The ground operation, which had been planned for months, was authorized by Trump, according to U.S. officials familiar with the mission. Trump has pledged to wage a more aggressive campaign against militant groups worldwide.

In a statement released by the White House, Trump called the raid “successful” and that it resulted in the capture of intelligence that would “assist the U.S. in preventing terrorism against its citizens and people around the world.”

“Americans are saddened this morning with news that a life of a heroic service member has been taken in our fight against the evil of radical Islamic terrorism,” Trump said in the statement.

A defense official said the slain service member was killed in a firefight with militants. According to the U.S. Central Command, 14 militants were killed during the operation.

The raid, in a remote desert area of Yemen’s Shabwa governorate, aimed to obtain intelligence information, including computer material, that was thought to be linked to planning for external attacks. The official could not confirm whether U.S. allies had participated in the raid. In recent months, U.S. Special Operations forces have partnered with troops from the United Arab Emirates to go after al-Qaida militants in Yemen.

The assault, a Yemeni official said, killed 35 to 40 people in the village, though other figures in local media suggested a lower death toll. U.S. troops, the official said, descended from helicopters as militants had gathered for a late-night session of chewing qat, the leafy narcotic used by most Yemeni males, especially at social and tribal gatherings. A lengthy battle followed, as the militants opened fire on the U.S. soldiers. Many homes were destroyed, the official said.

“The raid was intense, and wiped out most areas of the village,” the security official said. “It took place from night until dawn.”

Among those killed was an al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula leader named Abdulra’oof Aldahab and two of his relatives. In total, 13 militants were killed, the official said. The operation also killed 15 women and children, the official said, including the 8-year-old daughter of the late radical-Yemeni-American cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki, who was killed in a 2011 U.S. drone strike.

U.S. officials, after indicating that they could not confirm reports of civilian casualties, said they were now assessing the claims. U.S. helicopter gunships and fighter aircraft provided cover for the raid force, according to another defense official. The aircraft dropped an unknown amount of munitions in support of the operation.

According to a report from the SITE Intelligence Group, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula reported in a message on the Telegram messaging app that U.S. forces launched a helicopter attack and a ground raid on a Yemeni village, killing dozens of civilians. The militant group denied that any militants were killed.

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