No action on US troops for botched Kabul drone strike that killed 10: Pentagon

Pentagon chief and Defence Secretary Llyod Austin on Monday announced that no soldier of the United States army will be punished for the errant drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians on August 29.

The decision came after a thorough review conducted by the US Defence Department, following which Austin instructed the heads of the Central Command and Special Operations Command to make recommendations to improve the departmental policies and procedures. However, the call for revisions did not include holding anyone accountable involved in the strike, CNN quoted Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, as saying.

It is pertinent to mention that Austin's decision comes after US Central Command top official General Frank McKenzie acknowledged that the fatal drone strike on August 29, which had killed 10, including 7 children, was a miscalculated move.

Claiming full responsibility for the botched strike and it's tragic outcome, General McKenzie had said that the strike was taken in the "earnest belief" of preventing an imminent threat to the US forces and evacuees. However, he admitted that it was a mistake and offered an apology. The public apology fuelled criticism of US President Joe Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

No disciplinary action against US troops involved in Aug 29 strike

Following the review of the military investigation, which was published last month, Defence spokesperson Kirby informed that a major part of the recommendations approved by Austin was classified, as a result of which he "won't get into all of them". 

Reflecting on General McKenzie's 'personal accountability' statement, he also added that there must not be an issue regarding the same. The decision fully clarified that there will be no disciplinary action against the US soldiers and officials involved in the strike, saying that no law had been broken and that there was no evidence of misconduct or negligence, BBC reported.

The drone strike in Kabul and aftermath

The US-led drone strike on an aid worker's car took place during the final days of evacuation from Afghanistan's Kabul after the Taliban seized the Afghan capital on August 15. US army conducted the airstrike believing that the car was linked to an Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), a local alliance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

However, as reported by BBC, the explosion set off a secondary blast, which the US officials initially claimed was proof that the car was carrying explosives. Later, Pentagon acknowledged that the military had been tracking the wrong vehicle for what they thought could be the source of a dangerous activity. The strike took place three days after a suicide bomber blew up at the Kabul airport, killing up to 170 civilians and 13 US soldiers stationed in the airport periphery.

(Image: AP)