In May 2023, a U.S. airstrike in Syria targeting an al-Qaida leader resulted in the accidental killing of an innocent civilian, Mr. Lufti Hasan Masto. The U.S. Central Command confirmed this information after conducting an investigation into the incident. The airstrike had initially been reported to have hit a chicken farm near the town of Harem, killing one person, as stated by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. However, family members and neighbors of Masto later revealed that he was a farmer who raised sheep, chickens, and cattle, with no involvement in armed groups.
Statements from Masto’s brother, Mohamed Masto, indicated that reports of his brother’s alleged association with al-Qaida were false, describing his killing as an “injustice and an aggression.” According to Mohamed, Masto was simply tending to his sheep at the time of the strike. The U.S. Central Command acknowledged the misidentification of the intended target and the accidental killing of Masto in their investigation, which was completed in November but was not released publicly until Thursday.
The Central Command’s statement revealed that the investigation uncovered “several issues that could be improved” in the targeting process to prevent civilian harm in the future. While much of the investigation and findings are classified, the Command assured that the strike was conducted in compliance with the law of armed conflict, Department of Defense, and CENTCOM policies. The Defense Department has faced criticism for civilian casualties resulting from airstrikes in various conflicts, prompting the establishment of a detailed investigation and review process for such incidents.
Despite the accidental killing of Masto, the U.S. continues to target al-Qaida and Islamic State leaders in Syria as part of its ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in the region. Past airstrikes have successfully eliminated key figures, such as the 2017 strike that killed Abu al-Kheir al-Masri, a former aide to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida’s second in command in Syria. The U.S. remains committed to learning from incidents like the mistaken strike that killed Masto and improving its targeting processes to minimize civilian casualties in future military operations in Syria and other conflict zones.
