Mr Trump travelled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware in an unexpected visit to meet with Owens' family.

The remains of the serviceman, reportedly a member of Seal Team 6, were sent to Dover, home to the largest US military mortuary. Most of the visit was closed to the media.

The American elite forces did not seize any militants or take any prisoners offsite as a result of the raid but Sean Spicer, White House spokesman, said on Wednesday that the raid yielded benefits.

"Knowing that we killed an estimated 14 AQAP members and that we gathered an unbelievable amount of intelligence that will prevent the potential deaths or attacks on American soil - is something that I think most service members understand, that that's why they joined the service," Mr Spicer said.

A senior leader in Yemen's al-Qaeda branch, Abdulraoof al-Dhahab, along with other militants, were killed in the gun battle, al-Qaeda said.

The US officials said the extremists' base had been identified as a target before the Obama administration left office on January 20, but then-President Barack Obama held off approving a raid, in part because officials said they were not certain the available intelligence was sufficiently reliable. Also, on-the-ground surveillance of the compound was "minimal, at best," one of the officials said.