18 US-Allied Syrians Killed In Misdirected Airstrike, Military Says

WASHINGTON, DC — An airstrike fired by the American-led coalition to fight ISIS in Syria killed 18 Syrians who were in fact members of the Syrian Democracy Forces, a group allied with the United States, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Thursday. The misdirected attack was carried out on Tuesday.

The statement says that the strike, which hit south of Tabqah, Syria, was requested by "partnered forces" under the belief that it was an ISIS fighting position. "The target location was actually a forward Syrian Democratic Forces fighting position," it says.

"The Coalition’s deepest condolences go out to the members of the SDF and their families," the statement adds. "The Coalition is in close contact with our SDF partners who have expressed a strong desire to remain focused on the fight against ISIS despite this tragic incident."

After more than a week of focusing on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapon attacks, this announcement from Central Command is a reminder that the U.S. is also engaged in another, related conflict with ISIS in the same region. It's also a reminder that military action is often fraught with challenges and mistakes that can cost many lives.

Central command says it is reviewing the events that led up to the misdirected strike and implementing changes to prevent another such incident.

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