US says Yemen raid that left soldier, civilians dead a success

WASHINGTON — The White House Thursday defended a US special forces raid in Yemen as a success even though some civilians and an American soldier were killed.

One US serviceman died and four others were wounded in the attack on Sunday, the first major US military action since Donald Trump became president.

The US military's Central Command said it was "likely" that civilians died in the raid, which targeted members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in the Yakla region of Yemen's Baida province.

"When you think of the loss of life throughout America and institutions and in terms of the world, in terms of what some of the individuals could have done, I think it is a successful operation by all standards," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, referring to the people targeted in the attack.

He added that it was hard to talk of success when an American soldier was killed, and praised the soldier's sacrifice in fighting what Spicer called people who posed a threat to America.

Spicer made no mention of civilian victims.

Trump has vowed to fight extremism relentlessly.