WASHINGTON President Donald Trump s first overseas operation as commander in chief, a botched raid that led to the death of an American serviceman and significant civilian casualties, was never approved by former President Barack Obama before he left office, two top former national security officials said on Thursday.

The comments from Colin Kahl , the national security adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden, and Ned Price , a former White House spokesman, came after White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer tried to deflect blame by saying Obamas team had approved the plan.

The attack involved several dozen U.S. commandos belonging to the Navys SEAL Team 6 storming the stronghold of an al Qaeda leader in central Yemen early Sunday morning, according to reports in Reuters and the New York Times . With the complex better fortified than expected, the Americans and allied troops from the United Arab Emirates were soon engaged in a firefight and forced to call in air support. Ultimately, Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens and scores of Yemenis were killed, two Americans were wounded and a $70 million U.S. aircraft had to be deliberately destroyed.

Concern around Trumps decision-making grew as lawmakers called for further information on the operation in harsh statements Thursday. The military had already announced that it would launch its own investigation.

The House intelligence committee has already received a preliminary briefing, an aide told The Huffington Post, and the committee expects to receive more detailed information in coming days. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) of the foreign affairs committee and Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Anthony Brown (D-Md.) of the armed services committee sent letters requesting further briefings.

Having previously served on active duty, I am highly disturbed by reports that the American President sent our troops into harms way without adequate intelligence or adequate ground support, Lieu said in a statement about his letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Lieu cited a Reuters report that suggested Trump approved his first covert counterterrorism operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations.

In an initial message to House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) Gallego said it was important to understand how Trump a famously erratic, thin-skinned figure is deciding when to use U.S. Special Forces.

His later letter with Moulton and Brown noted that Trump was with advisers Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner when he made the call on the raid. This troubling development is consistent with other decisions by the President that marginalize the advice and expert opinion of the intelligence community and wide National Security Council, the lawmakers wrote.