The US military has backtracked on claims it killed a top al-Qaeda boss during a drone strike in Syria after the family of the man killed by the missile said he had no links to the terrorist group.
Lotfi Hassan Misto, 56, was killed on May 3, and has now been identified as the man killed in the US drone strike, reportedly while tending to livestock.
The father-of-ten was reportedly a bricklayer who lived in Qorqanya – not the terrorist leader the US claimed he was.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) oversaw the operation, and said in a statement after the attack that it had carried out a strike which was “targeting a senior al-Qaeda leader”.
After that statement, no further details were given – not least who the supposed target was.
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In its statement, the command said: “At 1142 am local Syrian time on 3 May, US Central Command forces conducted a unilateral strike in Northwest Syria targeting a senior Al Qaeda leader.
“We will provide more information as operational details become available.”
Within it, General Michael ‘Erik’ Kurilla, CENTCOM Commander, was quoted as saying: “This operation reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS and Al Qaeda.”
But according to the Washington Post, Mr Misto’s family denied he had any connection to the terror group, instead saying he was an industrious man whose “whole life was spent poor”.
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