US photojournalist Luke Somers and South Africa teacher Pierre Korkie have been killed during a rescue attempt by US and Yemeni forces.
The pair were murdered by their Al Qaeda captors during the raid in the Shabwah region of Yemen, US defence secretary Chuck Hagel said.
There are reports that Mr Korkie was due to be released tomorrow - but Mr Hagel said the operation was launched because there were "compelling reasons to believe Somers' life was in imminent danger".
US troops took Mr Somers - who was born in Britain - to a naval ship but he was reportedly dead upon arrival.
President Barack Obama condemned his murder as "barbaric".
The death of Mr Korkie was confirmed by the disaster relief group Gift of the Givers.
"The psychological and emotional devastation to [his wife] Yolande and her family will be compounded by the knowledge that Pierre was to be released by Al Qaeda tomorrow," the organisation said.
"It is even more tragic that the words we used in a conversation with Yolande at 5.59 this morning was 'the wait is almost over'.
"Three days ago we told her Pierre will be home for Christmas."
Mr and Mrs Korkie were taken hostage by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in May 2013 - though Yolande was released at the start of this year.
Mr Somers, meanwhile, was captured in September last year.
Militants released a video on Wednesday threatening to kill him within three days if their demands were not met.
The 33-year-old appeared in the footage saying he feared for his life.
Following his killing, sister Lucy Somers asked that "all of Luke's family members be allowed to mourn in peace".
Ms Somers had posted a YouTube video pleading for her brother's release just hours before his death.
The raid was the second attempt to free Mr Somers and was authorised by Mr Obama.
He said: "Luke was a photojournalist who sought through his images to convey the lives of Yemenis to the outside world.
"The callous disregard for Luke's life is more proof of the depths of AQAP's depravity, and further reason why the world must never cease in seeking to defeat their evil ideology."
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