Johannesburg, Dec 9 (IANS): The body of a South African teacher who had been held hostage in Yemen and killed in a rescue operation arrived home Tuesday, a charity said.

"The body arrived at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning and is being taken for a postmortem," Xinhua quoted Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the Gift of the Givers organisation, a charity that had been helping in releasing Pierre Korkie and his wife, Yolande, after they were known to be kidnapped, as saying.

Korkie, 57, was killed in central Yemen during a rescue mission by US special forces last Saturday, along with US journalist Luke Somers.

Korkie was kidnapped in Taiz, Yemen, in May 2013 with Yolande by Al Qaeda members. Yolande was released Jan 10 this year. The kidnappers demanded $3 million in exchange for Korkie's safe return.

US forces claimed the two victims were executed by the Al Qaida when the raid started, while South African officials blamed the US for its crummy attempt as Korkie was supposed to be released Sunday.

The Gift of the Givers said the family was devastated to hear about Korkie's death. "We are devastated, but I know all of you are devastated," Korkie's wife said in a text message to Sooliman.

The South African government also expressed grief over the deaths of the hostages.