U.S.: Counterterrorism Operation Accidentally Killed 2 Al Qaeda Hostages
The U.S. announced Thursday that two hostages being kept by Al Qaeda were accidentally killed in a recent U.S.-led counterterrorism operation, while two more Americans voluntarily working with the terrorist group were also killed.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced Thursday morning that the two hostages, including American doctor Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto, were accidentally killed during a counterterrorism mission in January. The two men had been held by the terror group for multiple years when they were accidentally killed.
"Analysis of all available information has led the Intelligence Community to judge with high confidence that the operation accidentally killed both hostages," Earnest said in the statement. "The operation targeted an al-Qaeda-associated compound, where we had no reason to believe either hostage was present, located in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. No words can fully express our regret over this terrible tragedy."
The statement went on to say that two other Americans working for Al Qaeda, Ahmed Farouq and Adam Gadahn, were also killed in the region at around the same time, although they were not specifically targeted during the mission.
The White House statement went on to say that U.S. President Barack Obama sought to share the recent news with the American people to maintain transparency.
President Obama "takes full responsibility for these operations and believes it is important to provide the American people with as much information as possible about our counterterrorism operations, particularly when they take the lives of fellow citizens."
