The August 29 airstrike in Kabul killed 10 civilians, including seven children, but no member of the ISIS-K (Islamic State, Khorasan Province) terrorist group, General Kenneth McKenzie, head of the central command, said during ‘a press briefing at the Pentagon.
“I am now convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in this strike. In addition, we now believe that it is unlikely that the vehicle and the deceased were associated with ISIS-K or posed a direct threat to US forces, â€McKenzie said Friday.
McKenzie said that in the 36 hours leading up to the strike, U.S. military commanders on the ground received more than 60 pieces of intelligence indicating imminent threats against U.S. forces at Kabul airport.
A white Toyota Corolla was the most recurring aspect of intelligence that described the car as a key part of the next attack, but that seemed to be wrong.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin offered his condolences to the family members of those mistakenly killed in the drone attack on Friday, including Zamarai Ahmadi, who worked for the humanitarian organization Nutrition and Education International. He added that the investigation found no connection between Ahmadi and ISIS-K.
The Pentagon chief also launched a review of the completed investigation into the drone attack by the US Central Command, the statement said.
On August 29, two days after an explosion at Kabul airport claimed the lives of 13 American soldiers and dozens of Afghan citizens, the United States carried out an airstrike targeting terrorists in a car, which allegedly carried explosives and posed an immediate threat to the airport.
Although the US military initially reported no casualties other than two terrorists in the car, US media reported that the airstrike actually killed around ten innocent residents of Kabul.
On September 11, the New York Times identified the target of the US drone strike as Zemarai Ahmadi, an electrical engineer for the US non-governmental organization Nutrition and Education International.
Asked about new evidence released by The New York Times, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the strike was based on “good intelligence.”
The moment of the tragic error comes as the White House has come under fire for its handling of the Afghan exit and the ill-planned evacuation of Kabul, which some experts have compared to the United States’ dying moments in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War.
