“Luke was a photojournalist who sought through his images to convey the lives of Yemenis to the outside world,” Obama said.
Korkie’s family had been expecting him home soon, said the Gift of Givers charity, which had been negotiating his release.
“The psychological and emotional devastation to Yolande and her family will be compounded by the knowledge that Pierre was to be released by Al-Qaeda tomorrow,” it said on Saturday.
“Three days ago we told her ‘Pierre will be home for Christmas’. We certainly did not mean it in the manner it has unfolded.”
A US State Department official said Washington was aware two hostages were at the location but did not know the identity of the second.
The threat to kill Somers followed the murder since August of five Western hostages by the Islamic State jihadist group which controls parts of Syria and Iraq.
AQAP, considered one of the group’s most dangerous affiliates, launches frequent attacks in Yemen and has also organised a series of attempted bomb attacks on Western targets.
Yemen is a key US ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda, allowing Washington to conduct a longstanding drone war against the group on its territory.
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