The US defense department, ‘the Pentagon’ on Friday admitted that a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan last month killed as many as 10 civilians including up to seven children.
According to the commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the strike was taken in the belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to US forces and the evacuees at the airport, during the US evacuation from the the country.
Admitting it was a it was a mistake, McKenzie claimed full responsibility for the strike and its tragic outcome, also offering his profound condolences to the family and friends of those killed.
Speaking further he added that, while the U.S. is considering reparation payments to surviving family members, such payments could prove difficult because the U.S. no longer has a presence in Afghanistan.
Recall that the drone strike came in response to a suicide bomb attack by the terrorist group, ‘ISIS-K’ which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghans near Hamid Karzai International Airport, where massive evacuation efforts were taking place as the U.S. pulled out from Afghanistan.
‘The Pentagon’ had said the strike, which was launched Aug. 29, killed two ISIS-K fighters believed to be involved in planning attacks against U.S. forces in Kabul.
