August 2021 Kabul drone strike

On 29 August 2021 an unmanned drone attack by the United States killed 10 civilians in Kabul, Afghanistan, including 7 children. Soon after the attack, the United States acknowledged that they had hit the wrong targets, and that only civilians were killed in the strike.[1]

August 2021 Kabul drone strike
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021),
2021 Afghanistan attacks,
Drone strikes in Afghanistan
LocationKabul, Afghanistan
Date29 August 2021 (2021-08-29)
16:53 (UTC+04:30)
Attack type
Drone strike
Victims10 civilians killed, including 7 children and Zemari Ahmadi
Perpetrators United States Central Command (United States Armed Forces)

The attack occurred soon after the Fall of Kabul that led to the end of the War in Afghanistan that lasted from 2001 to 2021. In the days after the Fall of Kabul, mass civilian evacuations took place at Hamid Karzai International Airport. During these evacuations, the airport was attacked by a suicide bomber, which killed at least 183 people. Anticipating imminent subsequent attacks from ISIS, U.S. forces believed that a white 1996 Toyota Corolla and its driver were linked to a terrorist plot. The driver of the car, Zemari Ahmadi, was a worker for a U.S. aid group. After Ahmadi stopped at a storehouse, six Reaper drones surrounded the compound and at 4:53pm a single Hellfire missile was launched, killing 10 people. The United States military acknowledged its mistake after reviewing footage that showed three children coming to greet Ahmadi at his sedan before they were killed.[2]

The attack was conducted by the Over-the-Horizon Strike Cell group of U.S. Central Command.[1] On September 17, 2021, General Kenneth McKenzie accepted responsibility for the killings.[3]

On 15 October 2021, The Pentagon offered unspecified amounts of monetary compensation to the families of the victims as well as pledged help relocating to the United States. Condolence payments for deaths caused by the American military have varied widely in recent years; in fiscal year 2019 the Pentagon offered 71 such payments to victims in Afghanistan and Iraq ranging from $131 to $35,000.[4]

On 13 December 2021, The Pentagon stated that no U.S. personnel would face charges stemming from the drone strike. The decision was made by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the recommendation of two top military commanders.[5]

See also

References
  1. Schmitt, Eric (21 September 2021). "A Botched Drone Strike in Kabul Started With the Wrong Car". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  2. Schmitt, Eric; Cooper, Helene (17 September 2021). "Pentagon acknowledges Aug. 29 drone strike in Afghanistan was a tragic mistake that killed 10 civilians". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  3. https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/Transcripts/Article/2781320/general-kenneth-f-mckenzie-jr-commander-of-us-central-command-and-pentagon-pres/
  4. Schmitt, Eric (16 October 2021). "U.S. Pledges to Pay Family of Those Killed in Botched Kabul Drone Strike". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. Schmitt, Eric (13 December 2021). "No U.S. Troops Will Be Punished for Deadly Kabul Strike, Pentagon Chief Decides". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
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