CNN —The US military is set to launch a formal investigation into a drone strike in Syria in early May, six weeks after the operation and following reports it killed a civilian rather than a senior al-Qaeda leader as first claimed, three defense officials familiar with the matter told CNN.
A spokesman for CENTCOM, Michael Lawhorn, said the investigation process is continuing but that there were no updates at this time.
It took US Central Command two weeks to begin a review of the incident, known as a civilian casualty credibility assessment report.
The policy was developed in 2022 after a botched US drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians in the final days of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In that case, CENTCOM opened a formal 15-6 investigation into the strike within a week of the operation.
Persons:
Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM, Kurilla, Hassan, Michael Lawhorn, Matthew McFarlane, ”, Annie Shiel, Shiel, Lloyd Austin, “, Brig, Pat Ryder
Organizations:
CNN, Command, Central Command, Pentagon, US Central Command, Washington Post, Force, ISIS, Center for Civilians, Defense Department, Defense
Locations:
Syria, Hassan Mesto, Kabul, Afghanistan