UPDATE - US raid kills 40 in southern Yemen

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM CENTCOM

By Murad al-Arifi

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - At least 40 people were reportedly killed in a U.S. raid that targeted suspected al-Qaeda leaders in southern Yemen on Sunday, according to local sources.

Helicopter-born commandos attacked the house of an alleged senior al-Qaeda leader Abdulraoof al-Dhahab in Qayfa district in al-Bayda province, a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media, said.

The dawn raid, in which drones and helicopters were used, triggered deadly clashes, which left at least 40 people dead, the source said.

Two other al-Qaeda leaders, including al-Dhahab’s brother, were killed in the raid, according to the same source.

Later Sunday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said a U.S. service member died of wounds during the raid and that three other members were also wounded.

"The sacrifices are very profound in our fight against terrorists who threaten innocent peoples across the globe," CENTCOM Commander Gen. Joseph Votel said in a written statement.

The U.S. military aircraft assisting the operation "experienced a hard landing at a nearby location, resulting in an additional U.S. injury." The aircraft was then "intentionally" destroyed, the statement added.

The statement said the operation resulted in an "estimated 14 AQAP [Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] members being killed and the capture of information that will likely provide insight into the planning of future terror plots."

Washington has used drones to hunt down al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen, which fell into civil war since 2014.

*Anadolu Agency Correspondent Esra Kaymak Avci contributed to this report from Ankara