A U.S. military investigation has concluded that a March 16 airstrike near Aleppo, Syria, legitimately targeted a meeting of al Qaeda leaders, and did not result in large numbers of civilian deaths, as alleged by human rights groups.
The strike by U.S. F-15s and MQ-9 Reaper drones was based on intelligence developed over days that a meeting of regional al Qaeda leaders was being held in a building that was adjacent to a small mosque.
Local residents said the U.S. strike killed worshipers attending evening prayers.
“We simply found no, zero credible evidence to discredit the intelligence,” said Brig. Gen. Paul Bontrager, deputy director for operations for U.S. Central Command, in a Pentagon teleconference.
“What we know with certainty is that this was an al Qaeda meeting, and there were al Qaeda regional leaders present,” Bontrager said.
The investigation did conclude one person, likely a child based on height, was killed or wounded in the strike, but the presence of the child was known before the attack. Under the concept of proportionality, the strike was judged to be legitimate.
“I can say with all certainly that before the strike, at the time of the strike, and now it remains a valid military target, and it remains a legal strike, Bontrager said.
As for the local media reports of large numbers of civilian dead, Bontrager said, “Our investigation did not uncover evidence to supports those claims. We are not aware of large numbers of civilians being treated in hospitals after the strike.”
The investigation did reveal that U.S. military personnel did not have access to “all the best information,” in particular that the targeted building was located next to a mosque, and therefore should have been put on a “no strike” list.
But Bontrager said that would have only meant that the authority to conduct the strike would have had to be granted at a higher level.
“Any structure at all, if it’s being used for a military purpose, can be struck, can be a legal target to strike,” Bontrager said.
