U.S. military officials acknowledged the number of civilian casualties during the special operations raid in Syria that targeted an ISIS leader could be higher than previously reported.
Special operations forces conducted the mission last week, resulting in the death of Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al Qurayshi, who had taken over as the head of the Islamic State following the death of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in 2019.
While Biden administration and Department of Defense officials initially said al Qurayshi detonated a bomb killing himself and his family as the special operators were outside, two military officials told a small group of reporters on Thursday they aren’t certain he was the one who detonated the device, according to the Associated Press.
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The officials said the bomb was definitely set off by someone on the third floor of the building where he and his family were staying. However, they don’t have enough evidence to support what they said was the most likely scenario, which is that he detonated it.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said at the time there were three civilian casualties, which he identified as the leader’s wife and two children. However, nearby organizations said the total was higher.
The Syrian White Helmets, also known as the Syria Civil Defense, said 13 bodies were recovered at the site, including six children and four women. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said 13 people lost their lives in the strike, though the group reported four children and three women died.
There is no video of the explosion or efforts to get the civilians in other parts of the house, per the officials. Still, the military previously said the special operators called out to the residents with a bullhorn encouraging them to surrender.
Kirby said the military had sought to capture al Qurayshi, so President Joe Biden opted for a raid over an airstrike, which would have posed a smaller risk to troops.
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The military has faced intense scrutiny regarding its role in civilian deaths following an Aug. 29 drone strike in Afghanistan that targeted an aid worker, whom DOD perceived to be a threat to U.S. troops. The strike killed him and nine others, including seven children.
No military personnel faced legal or professional consequences as a result of the strike that targeted Zemari Ahmadi, though Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has announced plans to emphasize further the importance of preventing civilian casualties.
There are also ongoing investigations into a March 18, 2019, strike that killed 80 people in Syria and one on a Dec. 3, 2021 strike in Syria where there were reports of civilian casualties.
