In a recent development disclosed by the U.S. Central Command on Thursday, an airstrike conducted by U.S. forces in Syria in May 2023, purportedly aimed at an al-Qaida leader, tragically resulted in the death of an innocent civilian. Confirming initial reports from residents and family members shortly after the incident, the U.S. Central Command acknowledged the misidentification of the intended target, leading to the unfortunate demise of Mr. Lufti Hasan Masto.
Following the strike, which took place near the town of Harem, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that it had struck a chicken farm, claiming the life of one individual. Subsequently, relatives and neighbours informed The Associated Press that the victim was a farmer, Mr. Masto, aged 60, who was known for raising livestock and had no affiliations with armed groups.
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Mr. Masto’s brother, Mohamed Masto, vehemently refuted any allegations connecting his brother to al-Qaida, labeling them as “absolute lies” and denouncing his brother’s killing as “an injustice and an aggression.” According to Mohamed Masto, his brother was merely tending to his sheep at the time of the airstrike.
Despite the incident occurring in May 2023, the investigation into the strike’s circumstances and aftermath was concluded by Central Command last November, though the findings were only made public on Thursday. While much of the investigation’s details remain classified, Central Command acknowledged that it identified “several issues that could be improved” in its targeting processes to minimize civilian harm.
In a statement, Central Command emphasized that the strike was conducted in compliance with the law of armed conflict, as well as Department of Defense and CENTCOM policies. The command also expressed its commitment to learning from the incident and enhancing its targeting procedures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The incident underscores ongoing concerns regarding civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military operations in regions such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. The Defense Department has faced criticism and scrutiny over civilian deaths in airstrikes, prompting the establishment of a rigorous investigation and review mechanism for such incidents.
Despite these challenges, the U.S. continues its efforts to target high-profile individuals associated with extremist organizations like al-Qaida and the Islamic State. This includes past operations such as the 2017 airstrike that eliminated Abu al-Kheir al-Masri, a prominent figure within al-Qaida and a former aide to Osama bin Laden, who served as the group’s second-in-command in Syria.
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