The U.S. military has concluded a 2023 airstrike they initially said targeted a senior Al Qaeda leader in northwest Syria had actually killed a lone civilian farmer.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)—the military component overseeing U.S. operations throughout the Middle East—said in a May 3, 2023, statement that its forces had conducted a unilateral strike targeting an Al Qaeda member. The initial CENTCOM statement did not identify the suspected Al-Qaeda leader, but the military command said, “We will provide more information as operational details become available.”
