Pentagon reverses itself, calls deadly Kabul strike an error

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has retreated from its defence of a drone onslaught that killed aggregate civilians successful Afghanistan past month.

It announced Friday that an interior reappraisal revealed that lone civilians were killed successful the attack, not an Islamic State extremist arsenic archetypal believed.

According to the Associated Press, 10 civilians, including 7 children, were killed.

"It was a tragic mistake," Gen. Frank McKenzie, Commander of U.S. Central Command, said Friday during a property briefing.

For days aft the Aug. 29 strike, Pentagon officials asserted that it had been conducted correctly, contempt galore civilians being killed, including children.

On Friday, Gen. McKenzie said helium took afloat work for the tragic result and offered condolences to the victim's household members.

"I connection my profound condolences to the household and friends of those who were killed," Gen. McKenzie said. "This onslaught was taken successful the earnest content that it would forestall an imminent menace to our forces and the evacuees astatine the airport, but it was a mistake, and I connection my sincere apology."

Gen. McKenzie said they are considering making reparation payments to the household of the victims.

News organizations aboriginal raised doubts astir that mentation of events, reporting that the operator of the targeted conveyance was a longtime worker astatine an American humanitarian enactment and citing an lack of grounds to enactment the Pentagon's assertion that the conveyance contained explosives.