US airstrike targeting al-Qaida leader in Syria killed a farmer, American military says

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said an airstrike in Syria in May 2023 that was targeting an al-Qaida leader killed an innocent civilian instead. The investigation by U.S. Central Command confirms early reports from residents and family members shortly after the attack. Central Command said Thursday that U.S. forces misidentified the intended al-Qaida target and that Lufti Hasan Masto was killed instead. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said soon after the strike that it had hit a chicken farm near the town of Harem, killing one person. Family members also quickly disputed the fact that Masto was associated with al-Qaida and said he was just a farmer.