US Military Bombs Syrian Mosque During Evening Prayers, Killing Dozens
While rescuers continue to search rubble for civilian victims, attack widely condemned as war crime
U.S. military officials have confirmed that a U.S. aircraft struck a mosque outside of Aleppo, Syria during evening prayers on Thursday, killing dozens of civilians, in an attack that many are calling a war crime.
Airwars' Samuel Oakford reported that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that a raid "took place in the vicinity of al-Jinah village, which is located in western Aleppo governorate, just a few kilometers from the border with Idlib. CENTCOM spokesperson Maj. Josh Jacques said the target was 'assessed to be a meeting place for al Qaeda, and we took the strike.'"
Jacques added that the target "happened to be across the street from where there is a mosque."
And Washington Post staff writer Thomas Gibbons-Neff reported:
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 42 people were killed and dozens wounded. Local activists told Al Jazeera that "the mosque was full of worshippers," with an estimated 300 people "inside at the time of the air raids."
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory, told the DPA news agency that most of those killed were civilians and that he fears "the number of casualties will increase" once rescuers are able to dig through the rubble.
Making no mention of civilian casualties, CENTCOM claimed the strike in Idlib "killed several al-Qaeda fighters," according to Al Jazeera.
The death toll "appears to be at least the second largest ever from U.S. strikes aimed at alleged al-Qeada targets in Syria," according to Oakford, as the intractable war against terror "enters its 16th year and third presidency, with no end in sight to the carnage," as journalist Glenn Greenwald observed.
Reporting the reaction and how the strike might impact the fight against al-Qaeda in Syria, Charles Lister, a senior fellow with the Middle East Institute, wrote Thursday:
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus also condemned the attack as a war crime, telling reporters Friday: "This is a crime against humanity, this is a war crime. Bombing civilians, people in the mosque, and a house of worship is unacceptable."
Article 53 of the Geneva Convention prohibits attacks on cultural objects and places of worship. Airwars confirmed that CENTCOM and the Pentagon are further investigating the attack.
The strike comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has taken steps to loosen constraints on military engagement, including lowering the standard for what defines an "acceptable" civilian casualty, as Common Dreams reported.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
U.S. military officials have confirmed that a U.S. aircraft struck a mosque outside of Aleppo, Syria during evening prayers on Thursday, killing dozens of civilians, in an attack that many are calling a war crime.
Airwars' Samuel Oakford reported that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that a raid "took place in the vicinity of al-Jinah village, which is located in western Aleppo governorate, just a few kilometers from the border with Idlib. CENTCOM spokesperson Maj. Josh Jacques said the target was 'assessed to be a meeting place for al Qaeda, and we took the strike.'"
Jacques added that the target "happened to be across the street from where there is a mosque."
And Washington Post staff writer Thomas Gibbons-Neff reported:
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 42 people were killed and dozens wounded. Local activists told Al Jazeera that "the mosque was full of worshippers," with an estimated 300 people "inside at the time of the air raids."
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory, told the DPA news agency that most of those killed were civilians and that he fears "the number of casualties will increase" once rescuers are able to dig through the rubble.
Making no mention of civilian casualties, CENTCOM claimed the strike in Idlib "killed several al-Qaeda fighters," according to Al Jazeera.
The death toll "appears to be at least the second largest ever from U.S. strikes aimed at alleged al-Qeada targets in Syria," according to Oakford, as the intractable war against terror "enters its 16th year and third presidency, with no end in sight to the carnage," as journalist Glenn Greenwald observed.
Reporting the reaction and how the strike might impact the fight against al-Qaeda in Syria, Charles Lister, a senior fellow with the Middle East Institute, wrote Thursday:
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus also condemned the attack as a war crime, telling reporters Friday: "This is a crime against humanity, this is a war crime. Bombing civilians, people in the mosque, and a house of worship is unacceptable."
Article 53 of the Geneva Convention prohibits attacks on cultural objects and places of worship. Airwars confirmed that CENTCOM and the Pentagon are further investigating the attack.
The strike comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has taken steps to loosen constraints on military engagement, including lowering the standard for what defines an "acceptable" civilian casualty, as Common Dreams reported.
U.S. military officials have confirmed that a U.S. aircraft struck a mosque outside of Aleppo, Syria during evening prayers on Thursday, killing dozens of civilians, in an attack that many are calling a war crime.
Airwars' Samuel Oakford reported that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that a raid "took place in the vicinity of al-Jinah village, which is located in western Aleppo governorate, just a few kilometers from the border with Idlib. CENTCOM spokesperson Maj. Josh Jacques said the target was 'assessed to be a meeting place for al Qaeda, and we took the strike.'"
Jacques added that the target "happened to be across the street from where there is a mosque."
And Washington Post staff writer Thomas Gibbons-Neff reported:
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 42 people were killed and dozens wounded. Local activists told Al Jazeera that "the mosque was full of worshippers," with an estimated 300 people "inside at the time of the air raids."
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory, told the DPA news agency that most of those killed were civilians and that he fears "the number of casualties will increase" once rescuers are able to dig through the rubble.
Making no mention of civilian casualties, CENTCOM claimed the strike in Idlib "killed several al-Qaeda fighters," according to Al Jazeera.
The death toll "appears to be at least the second largest ever from U.S. strikes aimed at alleged al-Qeada targets in Syria," according to Oakford, as the intractable war against terror "enters its 16th year and third presidency, with no end in sight to the carnage," as journalist Glenn Greenwald observed.
Reporting the reaction and how the strike might impact the fight against al-Qaeda in Syria, Charles Lister, a senior fellow with the Middle East Institute, wrote Thursday:
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus also condemned the attack as a war crime, telling reporters Friday: "This is a crime against humanity, this is a war crime. Bombing civilians, people in the mosque, and a house of worship is unacceptable."
Article 53 of the Geneva Convention prohibits attacks on cultural objects and places of worship. Airwars confirmed that CENTCOM and the Pentagon are further investigating the attack.
The strike comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has taken steps to loosen constraints on military engagement, including lowering the standard for what defines an "acceptable" civilian casualty, as Common Dreams reported.