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Syria air strikes: Children died' in US air strike | Syria air strikes: Children died' in US air strike |
(35 minutes later) | |
A US air strike on Syria last year probably killed two children, officials say - the first admission of civilian casualties in the campaign. | A US air strike on Syria last year probably killed two children, officials say - the first admission of civilian casualties in the campaign. |
"We regret the unintentional loss of lives," said Lieutenant General James Terry, head of the US-led campaign. | "We regret the unintentional loss of lives," said Lieutenant General James Terry, head of the US-led campaign. |
US Central Command said the strike on 5-6 November, near Harim City, targeted the al-Qaeda-linked Khorasan Group. | |
There had been no indications prior to the strikes that children were present, officials said. | There had been no indications prior to the strikes that children were present, officials said. |
The admission followed an investigation into the incident by US military authorities, directed by Lt Gen Terry. A statement on the outcome of the investigation said that the US Department of Defence had conducted a thorough assessment of the target buildings and concluded they were being used exclusively for military purposes. | |
"The coalition continues to take all reasonable measures during the targeting process to mitigate risks to non-combatants and to comply with the principles of the Law of Armed Conflict," Lt Gen Terry said. | |
There are two other ongoing investigations into air strikes in Iraq, and one more in Syria, according to the Associated Press news agency. | There are two other ongoing investigations into air strikes in Iraq, and one more in Syria, according to the Associated Press news agency. |
Relatively little is known about the Khorasan group other than information released by US officials. | |
They say the group is made up of veteran fighters from the Afghanistan and Pakistan region who have embedded within al-Qaeda's Syria branch, the al-Nusra Front. | |
The US Air Force began striking targets in Syria in September, leading a coalition including Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. | |
The UK and other European countries have participated in air strikes against targets in Iraq only. |