Luke Daniel Somers (1981 – 6 December 2014) was a British-born American photojournalist who had been held hostage by the militant Islamist group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen. He was a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States. He traveled to Egypt before settling in Yemen.
Somers was described by his friend as “a great man with a kind heart who really loves the Yemeni people and the country … He was so dedicated in trying to help change Yemen’s future, to do good things for the people that he didn’t leave the country [Yemen] his entire time here.”
Table of Contents
- 1 Death
- 2 Career
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Death
On December 4, 2014, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) threatened to Kill Somers within three days if the US government unsuccessful to meet everyday demands.
On December 6, 2014, about 40 US special operations forces were energetic in the try to rescue Luke Somers and Pierre Korkie, a South African scholastic also held by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, which followed US drone strikes in the area. The rescuers, backed by Yemeni arena forces, advanced within 100 meters of the multipart in Shabwah Governorate considering they were spotted by the militants. A firefight ensued. When the American soldiers finally entered the building where Somers and Korkie were kept, they found both men alive, but gravely wounded. The US forces pulled Somers and Korkie onto V-22 Ospreys, and medical teams began temporary surgery in midair. Korkie died during the flight and Somers died after the Ospreys landed upon the USS Makin Island.
Information “indicated that Luke’s energy was in imminent danger,” said US President Barack Obama. “Based on this assessment, and similar to there was trustworthy intelligence and an lively plan, I authorized a rescue attempt.” He condemned the “barbaric murder” of Somers. “The callous disregard for Luke’s liveliness is more proof of the depths of AQAP’s depravity, and further reason why the world must never cease in seeking to extinguish their evil ideology,” Obama said in a statement.
Career
Somers worked as a freelance journalist. His pictures were featured in the BBC and Al Jazeera. He was a freelance photographer for the Yemen Times.
His feat was featured at the 2016 Yemeni Film & Arts Festival in New York. They were portion of an exhibit at New York University’s Kevorkian Center in Manhattan.
His pretend will as well as be shown April 15–17 at the Friends Meeting of Washington, DC.
His play a role can be found on his Corbis and Demotix pages.
Last update 2021-08-06