• Home
  • News
      • AJ Impact
      • Middle East
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • US & Canada
      • Latin America
      • Europe
      • Asia Pacific
      • All
  • AJ Impact
  • AJ Go
  • Documentaries
      • Featured Documentaries
      • Witness
      • Al Jazeera World
      • 101 East
      • People & Power
      • Fault Lines
      • Whose Truth Is It Anyway?
      • My Ethiopia
      • Radicalised Youth
      • Al Jazeera Correspondent
      • This is Europe
      • Al Jazeera Selects
      • REWIND
      • All
  • Shows
      • Studio B: Unscripted
      • The Bottom Line
      • Inside Story
      • Planet SOS
      • The Stream
      • The Listening Post
      • Talk to Al Jazeera
      • earthrise
      • Head to Head
      • Counting the Cost
      • UpFront
      • The Big Picture
      • Empire
      • All
  • Investigations
  • Opinion
  • More
      • AJ Go
      • Features
      • Investigations
      • In Pictures
      • Interactive
      • Interactive Documentaries
      • AJ Shorts
      • Podcasts
      • Reporter's Notebook
      • Human Rights
      • Sport
      • Science & Technology
      • Weather
  • Live
  • Home
  • News
    • AJ Impact
    • Middle East
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
    • All
  • AJ Impact
  • AJ Go
  • Documentaries
    • Featured Documentaries
    • Witness
    • Al Jazeera World
    • 101 East
    • People & Power
    • Fault Lines
    • Whose Truth Is It Anyway?
    • My Ethiopia
    • Radicalised Youth
    • Al Jazeera Correspondent
    • This is Europe
    • Al Jazeera Selects
    • REWIND
    • All
  • Shows
    • Studio B: Unscripted
    • The Bottom Line
    • Inside Story
    • Planet SOS
    • The Stream
    • The Listening Post
    • Talk to Al Jazeera
    • earthrise
    • Head to Head
    • Counting the Cost
    • UpFront
    • The Big Picture
    • Empire
    • All
  • Investigations
  • Opinion
  • More
    • AJ Go
    • Features
    • Investigations
    • In Pictures
    • Interactive
    • Interactive Documentaries
    • AJ Shorts
    • Podcasts
    • Reporter's Notebook
    • Human Rights
    • Sport
    • Science & Technology
    • Weather
  • Live

  • Home
  • News
    • AJ Impact
    • Middle East
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
    • All
  • AJ Impact
  • AJ Go
  • Documentaries
    • Featured Documentaries
    • Witness
    • Al Jazeera World
    • 101 East
    • People & Power
    • Fault Lines
    • Whose Truth Is It Anyway?
    • My Ethiopia
    • Radicalised Youth
    • Al Jazeera Correspondent
    • This is Europe
    • Al Jazeera Selects
    • REWIND
    • All
  • Shows
    • Studio B: Unscripted
    • The Bottom Line
    • Inside Story
    • Planet SOS
    • The Stream
    • The Listening Post
    • Talk to Al Jazeera
    • earthrise
    • Head to Head
    • Counting the Cost
    • UpFront
    • The Big Picture
    • Empire
    • All
  • Investigations
  • Opinion
  • More
    • AJ Go
    • Features
    • Investigations
    • In Pictures
    • Interactive
    • Interactive Documentaries
    • AJ Shorts
    • Podcasts
    • Reporter's Notebook
    • Human Rights
    • Sport
    • Science & Technology
    • Weather
  • Live
  • News
  • /
  • Syria's Civil War

US: Air strikes killing dozens of Syrian troops legal

Pentagon investigation shows US-led coalition bombed Syrian army loyalists after mistaking them for ISIL fighters.

29 Nov 2016 20:31 GMT
    US, Australia, Denmark and Britain participated in the attacks [US Air Force handout via Reuters]
    US, Australia, Denmark and Britain participated in the attacks [US Air Force handout via Reuters]

    An investigation has found air strikes by the US-led coalition that reportedly killed dozens of troops fighting for the Syrian government did not violate international law, the US military said.

    The targets of the strikes near the Syrian city of Deir Az Zor were misidentified as ISIL fighters on September 17, but they turned out to be loyalists of the Syrian army, the US Air Forces Central Command said in a statement on Tuesday.

    US and Russia in war of words over Syria air raid

    "Although air strikes likely hit forces aligned with the government of Syria, the strikes were conducted under a good faith belief that the strikes were targeting Daesh, in accordance with the law of armed conflict and the applicable rules of engagement," it said, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

    It added that evidence showed there wasn't "a deliberate disregard of targeting procedures or the rules of engagement".

    Russia said 62 Syrian soldiers were killed and at least 100 more wounded. The attack was the first known direct strike by the US-led coalition on forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

    Brigadier General Richard Coe, the investigating officer, said a number of "human factors" contributed to the misidentification. 

    "In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job," Coe said. "In many ways these forces looked and acted like the Daesh forces the coalition has been targeting for the last two years."

    Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said there was no information on whether anyone was being punished for the series of human errors that led to the deadly incident.

    She also noted prior to the attack the coalition tried to communicate information about the planned air raid with Russia to make sure Russian or Syrian fighter jets would not be in the area getting in their way.

    READ MORE: Inside Bashar al-Assad's mind

    The Russians were not able to get back in touch with their coalition point of contact on time, she said.

    "When the coalition found out that the targeted fighters were known to the Russians, the strikes stopped," said Jordan.

    The United States, Australia, Denmark and Britain participated in the attack.

    Syria denounced the air strike and said it was "conclusive evidence" of US support for ISIL, calling it "dangerous and blatant aggression".

    Inside story - Who uses chlorine gas in Syria?

    SOURCE: Al Jazeera News

    • Middle East
    • Syria's Civil War
    • War & Conflict
    • United States
    Have your say.Give us feedback.
    Sign up for ourNewsletter.

    TRENDING

    UK General Election: Live results
    UK General Election: Live results
    China wants to make protest-free Macau its next Hong Kong
    China wants to make protest-free Macau its next Hong Kong
    Trump's new executive order promotes white supremacy
    Trump's new executive order promotes white supremacy
    UK election exit poll predicts Conservative majority
    UK election exit poll predicts Conservative majority

    YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

    'Money can't buy us': Mapping Canada's oil pipeline battle

    'Money can't buy us': Mapping Canada's oil pipeline battle

    We travel more than 2,000km and visit communities along the route of the oil pipeline that cuts across Indigenous land.

    06 Dec 2019 15:23 GMT
    Women under ISIL: The wives

    Women under ISIL: The wives

    Women married to ISIL fighters share accounts of being made to watch executions and strap explosives to other women.

    04 Dec 2019 11:40 GMT
    Diplomats for sale: How an ambassadorship was bought and lost

    Diplomats for sale: How an ambassadorship was bought and lost

    The story of Ali Reza Monfared, the Iranian who tried to buy diplomatic immunity after embezzling millions of dollars.

    02 Dec 2019 13:43 GMT
    Al Jazeera
    • News
    • Programmes
    • Opinion
    • About
    • Investigations
    • Contact Us
    • Video
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • RSS
    • Podcast
    • YouTube
    • SnapChat

    About

    • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Community Guidelines
    • Work for us
    • HR Quality

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Apps
    • Social
    • Channel Finder
    • TV Schedule
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletter
    • Submit a Tip
    • Directory

    Our Channels

    • Al Jazeera Arabic
    • Al Jazeera English
    • Al Jazeera Mubasher
    • Al Jazeera Documentary
    • Al Jazeera Balkans
    • AJ+

    Our Network

    • Jetty
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
    • Al Jazeera Media Institute
    • Learn Arabic
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights
    • Al Jazeera Forum
    • Al Jazeera Film Festival
    • Al Jazeera Hotel Partners

    © 2019 Al Jazeera Media Network

     

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement