Following a yearlong investigation, United States Central Command has admitted that a U.S. drone strike in Syria last year killed a 56-year old shepherd and not a terrorist leader.

On May 3, 2023, Lufti Hasan Masto was working with his animals in Qorqanya, a rural village in northwest Syria, when he was mistaken for a terrorist leader U.S. forces had been tracking. U.S. forces released a Hellfire missile near Masto’s home killing him and several of his sheep.

At the time, CNN had noted that CENTCOM posted on X “US Central Command targets Senior Al Qaeda Leader in strike in Northwest Syria.” In the same post, General Erik Kurilla said, “This operation reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS and Al Qaeda.”