A man is passing by the entrance of the former government's Ministry of Women Affairs building, which was closed by the Taliban, in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on the 17th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Sumi Hwang] The U.S. government has acknowledged that it mistakenly identified a civilian vehicle in Afghanistan as a suicide bombing vehicle, resulting in the deaths of 10 civilians.
On the 17th (local time), General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of the U.S. Central Command, admitted at a press conference that the U.S. military attacked civilians due to a misstrike. This came about three weeks after the incident occurred.
General McKenzie stated, "After an internal investigation, we concluded that the drone strike was a tragic mistake," and apologized. He added, "As the combat commander, I take full responsibility for the strike and this tragic outcome."
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also issued a statement ordering an investigation into the responsibility for the misstrike. He emphasized, "We will strive to learn from this terrible mistake and work to prevent its recurrence."
Earlier, on the 29th of last month, U.S. forces targeted a white Toyota sedan in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan, considering it a vehicle posing a suicide bombing threat, and carried out a drone strike.
At the time, the U.S. military stated, "IS-K (Islamic State Khorasan Province) militants planning a terror attack were in this vehicle, and we eliminated that threat," adding, "We are assessing the possibility of civilian casualties, but currently, there are no signs of such."
However, suspicions arose that civilians were killed in the U.S. strike. The driver of the targeted vehicle was identified as a man named Zemari Ahmadi, a collaborator with the local relief organization Nutrition & Education International (NEI).
Foreign media reports followed, indicating that 10 civilians, including seven children, appeared to have died in the strike.
Kenneth McKenzie, Commander of the United States Central Command, acknowledged that a drone strike in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, at the end of last month resulted in the deaths of 10 civilians, including children, calling it a "devastating mistake." The photo shows Commander McKenzie briefing on the Afghanistan withdrawal operation via video conference on the 30th of last month, while John Kirby (left), spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, listens attentively. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Moreover, there were claims that the U.S. military misidentified water containers as explosives. CCTV footage was released showing Ahmadi loading water containers into the vehicle with colleagues before leaving work. Additionally, the so-called "secondary explosion," cited as circumstantial evidence that explosives were in the vehicle, was analyzed and found not to have actually occurred.
In this context, criticism has also come from within the Democratic Party. Democratic Representative Ruben Gallego stated in a press release, "The Department of Defense must provide us with a detailed briefing on the process of setting the strike target and making the decision to carry out the attack."
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