acting, because the intelligence showed an urgency to get in where they were going to kill this american hostage anyway. reporter: it was the dead of night in yemen, u.s. officials say v-22 aircraft raced to a remote region in eastern yemen, about 30 commandos from s.e.a.l. team six and combat medics began to hike to the area where somers and korkie were being held. just yards from the target, dogs began to bark. the u.s. says the s.e.a.l.s were spotted. a firefight erupted. with aircraft keeping watch, the s.e.a.l.s battled the terrori terrorists, u.s. officials say one terrorist went back in the compound shooting somers and korkie. the u.s. did not know korkie was there. it was a desperate mission on the ground. the medics tried to stabilize both critically wounded men and called for the v-22s to land as
night in yemen. u.s. officials say v-22 aircraft raced to a remote region in eastern yemen. about 30 commanders from s.e.a.l. team 6 and combat medics began hiking to the compound where luke summers and south african korkie were being held. just yards from the target, dogs began barking. the s.e.a.l.s were spotted. a firefight erupted. with aircraft keeping watch, the s.e.a.l.s battled the terrorists. u.s. officials say one terrorist ran back into the compound, shooting summers and korkie. the u.s. did not know korkie was there. it was a desperate 30 minutes on the ground. the medics tried to stabilize both critically wounded men. they called for the v-22s to land as close as possible, but one hostage died on the aircraft, the other back on board a nearby navy ship.
but one terrorist ran back into the compound, shooting somers and korkie. the u.s. did not even nocor kkn korkie was there. the medics tried to stabilize both critically wounded men. they called for the v-22s to land as close as possible. but one hostage died on the aircraft. the other back on board a nearby navy ship. the president does not at all regret ordering this mission to try to rescue mr. somers. reporter: the president getting support from a key republican for taking the risk. i commend the president for acting because the intelligence showed an urgency to get in or they were going to kill this american hostage anyway. reporter: u.s. officials say they thought it was likely there was a second hostage at the site. but they did not know it was south african pierre korkie and they didn t know that his family