The target of last week's military raid in Yemen not only is still alive but has released an audio recording mocking President Donald Trump.

Military and intelligence officials told NBC News on Monday that the goal of the Navy SEAL operation was to capture or kill Qassim al-Rimi, the head of Al Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate. The raid claimed the lives of 14 Qaeda fighters, at least two dozen civilians, and US serviceman William "Ryan" Owens — but al-Rimi remains alive in Yemen, NBC News reported.

Al-Rimi released an audio recording on Sunday in which he mentioned the raid and called Trump "the goat of the White House," according to NBC News, which authenticated the tape with military sources.

"The fool of the White House got slapped at the beginning of his road in your lands," he reportedly said.

According to Fox News, al-Rimi also identified by name 25 purported victims of the attack.

It wasn't clear whether al-Rimi was at the scene of the raid, according to the report, which said the prospect of killing al-Rimi persuaded US officials to carry out the mission.

The White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, last week called the raid "very, very well thought out and executed" and "a successful operation by all standards."

The raid still may have sent a message to Al Qaeda, an NBC analyst said.

"We may have collected incredibly valuable intelligence that will lead to further disruptions and further counterterrorism activities down the road," said the analyst, Juan Zarate, a national security adviser in George W. Bush's administration.

Some critics of the raid have directed their ire toward Trump. Military officials told Reuters last week that Trump authorized the mission without sufficient intelligence, ground support, or adequate backup preparations. The White House has rejected that account, however, noting that plans for the strike began months ago under the Obama administration.

Read the full NBC News report here »

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