Official: US was unaware of deal to free South African killed in Yemen

Washington was “unaware” of negotiations to release South African teacher Pierre Korkie on the same day that he was killed in a failed U.S.-led mission to rescue hostages held by Al-Qaeda in Yemen, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa said on Monday.

Pierre Korkie, 56, and American journalist Luke Somers, 33, died of their wounds after being shot during a special forces raid intended to free Somers shortly after midnight on Saturday. Washington says they were killed by their captors, members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Another 11 people, including a woman, a 10-year-old boy and a local Al-Qaeda leader, were also killed during the raid in the village of Dafaar in Shabwa province, an AQAP stronghold in southern Yemen.

Gift of the Givers, a relief group that Korkie had been working with, had been negotiating for Korkie's release on behalf of his family. The teacher was due to be handed over just hours after the raid.

U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard said Washington acted swiftly to free Somers because it had information that he was going to be killed by his captors.

"We were unaware of negotiations for the release of Pierre Korkie and we were also not aware that Pierre Korkie was being held in the same space as Luke Somers," Gaspard told South Africa's 702 talk radio.

U.S. officials have said they were aware a second hostage was at the location but did not know his identity.

One of the conditions of Korkie’s release was to keep the deal confidential, according to Imtiaz Sooliman, a spokesman for Gift of the Givers. He confirmed to Reuters that the group had not informed U.S. officials about its negotiations with AQAP. "I don’t judge them for making the raid or have any anger toward them. They were working in the best interests of their citizen," Sooliman told Reuters. "Any other government would do something similar."

Korkie’s wife Yolande, who was released in January after being held with her husband, said through a spokesman that she does not hold the U.S. responsible for Korkie’s death.

"There is no accusation toward anybody,” Korkie family spokesman Daan Nortier told Reuters. “Mrs. Korkie is not in a position to say they [U.S.] were wrong. Mrs. Korkie, as a Christian, applies the biblical principle of forgiving ... even for his captors." Korkie's body was due to be repatriated to South Africa by U.S. authorities later on Monday, Nortier said.

AQAP, formed in 2006 by the merger of the Yemeni and Saudi wings of Al-Qaeda, has for years been seen by Washington as one of the movement's most dangerous branches.

Western governments fear that advances in Yemen by Shia Muslim Houthi fighters with links to Iran have bolstered support among Yemeni Sunnis for AQAP.

At least two more hostages are being held by the group.

Wire services