[ad_1]
The United States’ account of a drone strike against a suspected terrorist in Afghanistan near the end of the military withdrawal from Kabul is disputed by a report suggesting the victim did not pose a threat to the United States.
According to a New York Times report, the drone attack that US officials say killed an ISIS terrorist carrying a bomb in a car to US troops could have killed an unrelated man Islamic and who carried water to members of his family.
TRUMP SLAMS “QUICK” WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN, BLAME BIDEN “INCOMPETENT”
US military officials announcement late last month the drone strike, carried out the day after a suicide bombing killed 13 US servicemen, killed a so-called “ISIS-K planner” and an “associate”.
The New York Times said after reviewing video evidence and interviewing more than a dozen friends and family of the driver in Kabul, he had doubts about the US version of events.
“The Times newspaper identified the driver as Zemari Ahmadi, a long-time employee of a US aid group,” the report said. “Evidence suggests that his trips that day actually involved transporting colleagues to and from work. And an analysis of the video feeds showed that what the military was able to see was Mr. Ahmadi and a colleague in charge of water cans in his trunk to take home to his family. “
LT. COLLAR. COLEMAN: AFGHANISTAN EXIT FLIGHT WAS ‘DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING I EVER SEEN’
The United States previously admitted there were three civilian casualties in the strike, but the Times report says the actual number is 10. Seven of those people were children, including young family members. Ahmadi who, according to relatives, had rushed to the car to greet him when he returned home moments before the strike.
Two prominent U.S. military sources told Fox News that U.S. Central Command remains convinced the strike was based on specific intelligence showing the person in the car had bad intentions and that an investigation was underway into the number of civilians killed.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley said a secondary explosion confirms the Ahmadi’s car was filled with explosives. The Times report also disputes this claim.
“But an examination of the strike scene, conducted by The Times visual investigation team and a Times reporter the following morning, and followed by a second visit four days later, found no evidence of ‘a second, more powerful explosion,’ he added. report states.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
Jennifer Griffin of Fox News contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link