The failed attack is the latest incident raising questions about the lack of accountability for civilian deaths caused by US strikes.
The United States Department of Defense has acknowledged that a drone strike in Syria, initially said to have successfully targeted an al-Qaeda leader, actually killed a farmer.
The Pentagon said Thursday that the May 3, 2023, drone strike killed a 56-year-old pastor named Lutfi Hasan Masto, who they initially mistakenly identified as a senior member of al-Qaeda.
US Central Command, which oversees military activities in the Middle East, wrote that it “recognizes and regrets the civilian harm that resulted from the airstrike.”
A year ago, a US strike in Syria killed a “senior al-Qaeda leader”
Ferocious excavation by @imogen_piper @mmkelly22 It is @washingtonpost proved he was a farmer
The US military has now officially accepted that it was a mistake, blaming “confirmation bias”
-Airwars (@airwars) May 2, 2024
Masto’s killing is the latest incident raising questions about the impact of US drone warfare on civilians, who often pay the price for failed strikes.
The US has become increasingly dependent on armed drones to carry out attacks in numerous countries in the Middle East and Africa, allowing its military to attack armed groups without the risks or potential public backlash that accompany sending troops to the terrain.
But despite a series of high-profile incidents — including a drone strike during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that killed 10 civilians, including seven children — holding American officials accountable has been rare. The families of civilians killed in the attacks have also been fighting to demand restitution.
The Pentagon said few details of the Masto investigation would be released, citing the classification of sensitive information, but that the attack complied with the laws of armed conflict.
The Washington Post, a US media outlet, published a report last year casting doubt on the Pentagon’s initial account of events surrounding the attack, including its claim that it was an al-Qaeda leader who was killed.
The Associated Press also reported shortly after the attack that family members and neighbors said the victim had no connection to armed groups and was, instead, a farmer who raised sheep, chickens and cattle.
“The investigation revealed several issues that could be improved,” US Central Command said. “We are committed to learning from this incident and improving our targeting processes to mitigate potential civilian harm.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
