Global Courant 2023-05-20 08:29:01
A US MQ-9 drone on display in Afghanistan. A similar aircraft was used in a drone strike on a leading al-Qaeda figure on May 3, US officials claimed.Massoud Hossaini/AP
The US military carried out a drone strike in northwestern Syria on the morning of May 3.
US Central Command said in a press release that the target was a “senior Al Qaeda leader.”
Two US military officials told The Washington Post that the attack failed to kill its intended target.
Two US military officials said they may not have killed the intended target of an al Qaeda leader in a drone strike carried out in northwestern Syria on May 3. That reports the Washington Post.
“We are no longer certain that we killed a senior AQ official,” an official told the Post. Another official said, “While we believe the attack did not kill the original target, we believe the person is al-Qaeda.” Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
The US Central Command released a brief statement on May 3 claiming it had carried out a “unilateral attack in northwestern Syria targeting a senior Al Qaeda leader”. According to the press release, the strike took place around 11:42 a.m. local Syrian time.
But the two officials are backtracking on the allegation, and both the victim’s family and terrorism experts told the Post the man had no ties to terrorists.
The family told the publication that the man was 56-year-old Lotfi Hassan Misto, a father of 10 children.
Misto’s son Hassan told the Post that his father went about his morning routine as usual, eating breakfast and then tending his sheep.
Misto then took a break near his home for a few hours and had tea with his brother. Around 11:30 am, Misto went back to his animals. The father was hit by a missile from an MQ-9 predator drone less than 15 minutes later near the area where he was having tea with his brother.
The Post collected photos and details of the event through interviews with Misto’s family and neighbours. Images were also provided by the Syrian Civil Defence, a voluntary humanitarian organization also known as the ‘White Helmets’.
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Four terrorism experts told The Post that Misto was not mentioned in online discussions with jihadists after the attack. The experts added that it is unlikely that any senior Al Qaeda figure would be active in the area of the attack.
“Very soon after this strike, the White Helmets came out and identified the person with his name and his occupation. The locals came forward to say that this man has always been a farmer. He has never had any political activity; he has never had ties to armed groups,” Charles Lister, the director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute, told the Post. “The pace and magnitude of such a push-back was actually quite unusual.”
A US Central Command spokesman did not respond to a request for comment sent outside of working hours.
Central Command spokesman Michael LaWhorn told the Post officials are aware of reports of civilian casualties.
“Centcom is taking all of these allegations seriously and is investigating whether the action may have inadvertently caused harm to civilians,” Lawhorn told the Post.
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