"This action leaves the United States and its partners safer and more secure, and it reflects our steadfast commitment to protecting Americans from the threat of terrorism at home and abroad," Austin said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley (Evelyn Hockstein / Pool via AP / File)

Biden’s decision to approve the operation followed a recommendation from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, as well as "careful consideration of its risks and benefits in consultation with his intelligence community and national security team."

"At the same time, and based on extensive past experience, we recognize that even an intended capture operation might well result in al-Sudani’s death — as it ultimately did."

A plane descends over a secured beach area to land at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Sept. 4, 2022.

Another official described the operation as a "significant counterterrorism achievement" and that it reflects "key ways" in which the Biden administration’s approach to addressing international terrorist threats have evolved.