U.S. Central Command: Civilians may have been killed in drone strike targeting al-Qaeda leader

carleyshaffer1December 4, 2021

This picture taken 26 December 2011 shows the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C. (Photo by STAFF/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 4:12 PM PT – Saturday, December 4, 2021

U.S. Central Command confirmed civilians may have been killed in a drone strike targeting a senior al-Qaeda leader and planner in Syria.

On Saturday, a spokesperson from Central Command told the Military Times the target was killed, however, their name has not been released following Friday’s strike. Officials said a full investigation has been launched into the allegations of innocent lives killed.

“U.S. forces conducted a kinetic strike near Idlib, Syria, Dec. 3, targeting a senior al-Qaeda leader and planner,” Central Command spokesperson Captain Bill Urban said in a statement. “The strike was conducted using a precision strike method from MQ-9 aircraft.”

“We abhor the loss of innocent life and take all possible measures to prevent them. The possibility of a civilian casualty was immediately self-reported to US Central Command. …

— Oren Liebermann (@OrenCNN) December 3, 2021

The mission comes shortly after the Pentagon admitted a drone strike in March of 2019 killed civilians in Syria, which is now under investigation. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently ordered a renewed investigation into the matter.

In the meantime, officials said results of the investigation into the strike would be released “when appropriate.”