US military admits latest strike in Kabul mistakenly killed ten civilians
The vehicle hit by the US drone attack on August 29, 2021 in Kabul.
AFP - WAKIL KOHSAR
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin on Friday September 17 presented his "
apologies
" for the Kabul blunder, which killed ten Afghan civilians just before the US withdrawal.
The US military admitted that its last strike in Kabul at the end of August was "
a tragic mistake
".
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The United States admits that the August 29 drone strike in Kabul did not target the correct vehicle.
The US military believed it had targeted a car representing
an imminent threat of
an attack by the jihadist group Islamic State in Khorasan (EI-K).
This error killed 10 civilians including 7 children.
“
I offer my deepest condolences to the surviving loved ones of those killed.
This strike was carried out in the honest belief that it would prevent an immediate threat to our troops and those attempting to be evacuated at the airport.
But it was a mistake and I offer my sincere apologies.
As commander of combat operations, I am fully responsible for this strike and its tragic consequences
, ”General Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US military central command, said in a statement.
LIVE: @PentagonPresSec John F. Kirby and @CENTCOM commander, Marine Corps Gen.
Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., hold a news briefing at the Pentagon.
https://t.co/qSwXqCVfoo
- Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) September 17, 2021
He also admitted that the man targeted was "
just an innocent victim, like other people tragically killed
".
"
It is unlikely that the vehicle and those that died were linked to IS-K
" or posed "
a direct threat to American forces
," General Kenneth McKenzie, chief of the United States forces in India, told reporters. Afghanistan before their final withdrawal.
“
No army works as hard as ours to avoid civilian casualties.
When we have reason to believe that we have taken innocent lives, we investigate and, if it is true, we acknowledge it,
”he said.
A few days earlier, the New York Times
published a video investigation
proving that the US drone strike had hit an aid worker.
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United States
Afghanistan
Defense