A US strike in Syria last year killed a civilian who was misidentified as an Al-Qaeda leader. The strike took place on May 3, 2023, and Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Erik Kurilla ordered an investigation the following month after it was discovered that the man killed was not a senior militant. CENTCOM stated that the investigation determined US forces misidentified the target and regretted the civilian harm caused. The strike was found to be conducted in compliance with the law of armed conflict, but improvements are needed. Lotfi Hassan Masto, the civilian killed in the strike, had no Al-Qaeda ties and was tending to his sheep at the time. The conflict in Syria, which began in 2011, has claimed more than half a million lives. The United States has around 900 troops deployed in Syria to combat the Islamic State jihadist group and conducts periodic strikes targeting militants in the country.
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