<p>A few days ago, when the US carried out drone strike in a residential area of Kabul, the officials tried to prove it a success by claiming to have killed Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) militants. But now,&nbsp;the US has admitted to their lie.</p>

<p>US Central Command commander General Kenneth McKenzie has admitted that the US made a "mistake"&nbsp;by launching a drone airstrike in Kabul’s residential area on August 29. He agreed that the strike did not kill ISIS-K militants, but did take lives of 10 civilians.</p>

<p>"The strike was a tragic mistake," McKenzie told reporters after an investigation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-talks-to-brother-of-aid-worker-killed-in-us-drone-strike-413970"><strong>WATCH |</strong></a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-talks-to-brother-of-aid-worker-killed-in-us-drone-strike-413970/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">The drone strike was carried out by the US in Kabul, near the international airport. US officials had claimed that the strike was against ISIS-K militants and had hailed it as a success. They claimed to have successfully killed ISIS-K militants who were readying themselves to launch another suicide attack at the Kabul Airport.</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">
<p>However, after the strike, WION surveyed the attacked area and interviewed the remaining civilians of the house. The investigative report, which WION was the first to do,&nbsp;hinted at deaths of civilians rather than terrorists.</p>
</div>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-drone-strike-may-have-killed-aid-worker-children-and-not-isis-k-militants-reports-412228">US drone strike may have killed aid worker, children, and not ISIS-K militants: Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>That strike killed an aid worker, along with his nieces and nephews.</p>

<p>When Zemari Ahmadi pulled his car into the driveway around 4:30 pm (Kabul time) that day, he was accompanied with his son, nieces, nephews and a few other relatives. His 12-year-old son, Farhad, had requested his father to let him park the car. However, when Ahmadi put Farzad in the driver’s seat and switched over to the passenger side, the "American missile" hit the car and a deadly explosion took place, immediately taking lives of 10 people present there.</p>

<p>Soon after, an investigative report by the New York Times indicated the same. The experts from their team concluded that the US may have misjudged Ahmadi and his colleague, loading water canisters in the vehicle, for terrorists.</p>

<p>The US had also claimed that a second attack had taken place immediately after their strike which proved that the vehicle was loaded with explosives. However, an investigation by media houses proved there was no evidence to support claims of a second blast.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In a conversation with WION, a veteran of Afghanistan <a href="https://twitter.com/LawrenceSellin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LawrenceSellin</a> has said that ''the US military and intelligence has become politicised,'' after the Pentagon issued an apology for killing civilians in the Kabul airstrike<br />
<br />
For more videos, visit: <a href="https://t.co/dm7SyBIpO6">https://t.co/dm7SyBIpO6</a> <a href="https://t.co/W0EIKLN7Yk">pic.twitter.com/W0EIKLN7Yk</a></p>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1439150478680473603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>NYT in its report claimed there was only one dent on a nearby gate and the lack of any blown-out walls or any other sign prove that there was no second blast that day.</p>

<p>Pentagon spokesman John Kirby had, then, refuted&nbsp;the investigations and claimed&nbsp;"the strike was based on good intelligence, and we still believe that it prevented an imminent threat to the airport and to our men and women that were still serving at the airport".</p>

<p>However, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has apologised weeks later, and offered condolences for the families of the civilians who were wrongfully killed in the strike.</p>

<p>"I offer my deepest condolences to surviving family members of those who were killed," Austin said in a statement. "We apologise, and we will endeavor to learn from this horrible mistake."</p>

<p>The US government is also trying to arrange ways of paying damages to the families of the civilians killed.</p>

<p>McKenzie claimed a white Toyota car was being targeted by the US officials as the intelligence has identified that model as a vehicle for the ISIS-K militants.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/top-us-general-made-a-mistake-when-launching-drone-airstrike-413905"><strong>WATCH |</strong></a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/top-us-general-made-a-mistake-when-launching-drone-airstrike-413905/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"We selected this car based on its movement at a known target area of interest to us," McKenzie said. "Clearly our intelligence was wrong on this particular white Toyota."&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also claimed that no civilians were spotted in the area at the time the strike was authorised.</p>

<p>Austin has, now, also cleared the name of Ahmadi and said that "we now know that there was no connection between Mr Ahmadi and ISIS-Khorasan".</p>

<p>"On behalf of the men and women of the Department of Defense, I offer my deepest condolences to surviving family members of those who were killed, including Mr. Ahmadi, and to the staff of Nutrition and Education International, Mr. Ahmadi’s employer," Austin said.</p>


A few days ago, when the US carried out drone strike in a residential area of Kabul, the officials tried to prove it a success by claiming to have killed Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) militants.

A few days ago, when the US carried out drone strike in a residential area of Kabul, the officials tried to prove it a success by claiming to have killed Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) militants. But now, the US has admitted to their lie. US Central Command commander General Kenneth McKenzie has admitted that the US made a "mistake" by launching a drone airstrike in Kabul’s residential area on August 29. He agreed that the strike did not kill ISIS-K militants, but did take lives of 10 civilians. "The strike was a tragic mistake," McKenzie told reporters after an investigation. WATCH | The drone strike was carried out by the US in Kabul, near the international airport. US officials had claimed that the strike was against ISIS-K militants and had hailed it as a success. They claimed to have successfully killed ISIS-K militants who were readying themselves to launch another suicide attack at the Kabul Airport. However, after the strike, WION surveyed the attacked area and interviewed the remaining civilians of the house. The investigative report, which WION was the first to do, hinted at deaths of civilians rather than terrorists. Also read | US drone strike may have killed aid worker, children, and not ISIS-K militants: Reports That strike killed an aid worker, along with his nieces and nephews. When Zemari Ahmadi pulled his car into the driveway around 4:30 pm (Kabul time) that day, he was accompanied with his son, nieces, nephews and a few other relatives. His 12-year-old son, Farhad, had requested his father to let him park the car. However, when Ahmadi put Farzad in the driver’s seat and switched over to the passenger side, the "American missile" hit the car and a deadly explosion took place, immediately taking lives of 10 people present there. Soon after, an investigative report by the New York Times indicated the same. The experts from their team concluded that the US may have misjudged Ahmadi and his colleague, loading water canisters in the vehicle, for terrorists. The US had also claimed that a second attack had taken place immediately after their strike which proved that the vehicle was loaded with explosives. However, an investigation by media houses proved there was no evidence to support claims of a second blast. In a conversation with WION, a veteran of Afghanistan @LawrenceSellin has said that ''the US military and intelligence has become politicised,'' after the Pentagon issued an apology for killing civilians in the Kabul airstrike For more videos, visit: https://t.co/dm7SyBIpO6 pic.twitter.com/W0EIKLN7Yk — WION (@WIONews) September 18, 2021 × NYT in its report claimed there was only one dent on a nearby gate and the lack of any blown-out walls or any other sign prove that there was no second blast that day. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby had, then, refuted the investigations and claimed "the strike was based on good intelligence, and we still believe that it prevented an imminent threat to the airport and to our men and women that were still serving at the airport". However, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has apologised weeks later, and offered condolences for the families of the civilians who were wrongfully killed in the strike. "I offer my deepest condolences to surviving family members of those who were killed," Austin said in a statement. "We apologise, and we will endeavor to learn from this horrible mistake." The US government is also trying to arrange ways of paying damages to the families of the civilians killed. McKenzie claimed a white Toyota car was being targeted by the US officials as the intelligence has identified that model as a vehicle for the ISIS-K militants. WATCH | "We selected this car based on its movement at a known target area of interest to us," McKenzie said. "Clearly our intelligence was wrong on this particular white Toyota." He also claimed that no civilians were spotted in the area at the time the strike was authorised. Austin has, now, also cleared the name of Ahmadi and said that "we now know that there was no connection between Mr Ahmadi and ISIS-Khorasan". "On behalf of the men and women of the Department of Defense, I offer my deepest condolences to surviving family members of those who were killed, including Mr. Ahmadi, and to the staff of Nutrition and Education International, Mr. Ahmadi’s employer," Austin said.

'We apologise': US admits Kabul airstrike killed 10 civilians, not ISIS-K militants

<p class="MsoNormal">A recent video evidence of the airstrike by the US in Kabul shows that the American authorities may have mistakenly targeted an aid worker rather than ISIS-K members.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 16 as the former leader Ashraf Ghani fled the country, leaving the locals to defend themselves. After that the US and other countries started evacuating their citizens and allies from the country through the Kabul International airport. The airport was, therefore, secured by the American forces.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-conducts-drone-strike-on-explosive-laden-car-in-kabul-409269">US conducts drone strike on explosive-laden car in Kabul</a></strong></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">While Taliban assured there would be no unjustified attacks, ISIS-K was unhappy by Taliban’s rise to power in the country and decided to get its own revenge. Members of ISIS-K attacked the airport which led to killing of few civilians, injuring many, and death of at least 13 American troops.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">To get justice for the death of the US soldiers, the American forces launched a <strong><a href="Ground report: Chilling details of 10 victims killed by US drone strike in Afghanistan">drone strike in a residential area on August 29</a></strong> — a day before leaving Afghan soil. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">While the US claimed this attack was successfully targeted at ISIS-K militants who were readying themselves to launch another suicide attack at the Kabul Airport, the New York Times has claimed that the American attack may have killed an aid worker instead.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>WION had earlier too reported the chilling details of the death of&nbsp;Ezmarai Ahmadi due to the US drone strike.</o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">When Ahmadi pulled his car into the driveway around 4:30 pm (Kabul time) that day, he was accompanied with his son, nieces, nephews and a few other relatives. His 12-year-old son, Farhad, had requested his father to let him park the car. However, when Ahmadi put Farzad in the driver’s seat and switched over to the passenger side, the "American missile" hit the car and a deadly explosion took place, immediately taking lives of 10 people present there.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-isis-k-group-behind-the-kabul-blasts-408895"><strong>WATCH |</strong></a></o:p></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-isis-k-group-behind-the-kabul-blasts-408895/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">"This was my best friend’s house. He was an engineer and had nothing to do with the army or with Talibs (Taliban) or anyone else either. 10 people were killed including seven children. There’s a lot of fear because of the strike. I came here after five minutes and saw the people lying in terrible condition. I did the best I could,"&nbsp;deceased's friend said minutes after the incident.</div>

<p class="MsoNormal">The US had claimed they were targeting a parked vehicle which was to be used in the suicide attack. Ahmadi, however, claims that the targeted vehicle was parked and was being driven by his brother, Ezmarai Ahmadi, a little before the attack.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Security camera footage, scanned by experts of New York Times, also reveals that there is a huge possibility that the US may have seen Ahmadi and his colleague loading water canisters in the vehicle and picking up a laptop for his boss.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The US had also justified their drone strike by stating that there was a second blast followed by the strike, which proved that the targeted vehicle was filled with explosives. However, New York Times has contested that claim too by saying there is no evidence of a second blast. NYT claims there was only one dent on a nearby gate and the lack of any blown-out walls or any other sign prove that there was no second blast that day.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Ezmarai Ahmadi was an electrical engineer who was working for a California-based aid Nutrition and Education International. He had also applied for repatriation from Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"As Chairman (Mark) Milley said, the strike was based on good intelligence, and we still believe that it prevented an imminent threat to the airport and to our men and women that were still serving at the airport," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby refuted the New York Times report.<o:p></o:p></p>


A recent video evidence of the airstrike by the US in Kabul shows that the American authorities may have mistakenly targeted an aid worker rather than ISIS-K members.

A recent video evidence of the airstrike by the US in Kabul shows that the American authorities may have mistakenly targeted an aid worker rather than ISIS-K members. Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 16 as the former leader Ashraf Ghani fled the country, leaving the locals to defend themselves. After that the US and other countries started evacuating their citizens and allies from the country through the Kabul International airport. The airport was, therefore, secured by the American forces. Also read | US conducts drone strike on explosive-laden car in Kabul While Taliban assured there would be no unjustified attacks, ISIS-K was unhappy by Taliban’s rise to power in the country and decided to get its own revenge. Members of ISIS-K attacked the airport which led to killing of few civilians, injuring many, and death of at least 13 American troops. To get justice for the death of the US soldiers, the American forces launched a drone strike in a residential area on August 29 — a day before leaving Afghan soil. While the US claimed this attack was successfully targeted at ISIS-K militants who were readying themselves to launch another suicide attack at the Kabul Airport, the New York Times has claimed that the American attack may have killed an aid worker instead. WION had earlier too reported the chilling details of the death of Ezmarai Ahmadi due to the US drone strike. When Ahmadi pulled his car into the driveway around 4:30 pm (Kabul time) that day, he was accompanied with his son, nieces, nephews and a few other relatives. His 12-year-old son, Farhad, had requested his father to let him park the car. However, when Ahmadi put Farzad in the driver’s seat and switched over to the passenger side, the "American missile" hit the car and a deadly explosion took place, immediately taking lives of 10 people present there. WATCH | "This was my best friend’s house. He was an engineer and had nothing to do with the army or with Talibs (Taliban) or anyone else either. 10 people were killed including seven children. There’s a lot of fear because of the strike. I came here after five minutes and saw the people lying in terrible condition. I did the best I could," deceased's friend said minutes after the incident. The US had claimed they were targeting a parked vehicle which was to be used in the suicide attack. Ahmadi, however, claims that the targeted vehicle was parked and was being driven by his brother, Ezmarai Ahmadi, a little before the attack. Security camera footage, scanned by experts of New York Times, also reveals that there is a huge possibility that the US may have seen Ahmadi and his colleague loading water canisters in the vehicle and picking up a laptop for his boss. The US had also justified their drone strike by stating that there was a second blast followed by the strike, which proved that the targeted vehicle was filled with explosives. However, New York Times has contested that claim too by saying there is no evidence of a second blast. NYT claims there was only one dent on a nearby gate and the lack of any blown-out walls or any other sign prove that there was no second blast that day. Ezmarai Ahmadi was an electrical engineer who was working for a California-based aid Nutrition and Education International. He had also applied for repatriation from Afghanistan. "As Chairman (Mark) Milley said, the strike was based on good intelligence, and we still believe that it prevented an imminent threat to the airport and to our men and women that were still serving at the airport," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby refuted the New York Times report.

US drone strike may have killed aid worker, children, and not ISIS-K militants: Reports

<p>For a developing country like India, oil is the lifeline. So will the decision to stop buying Iranian oil hurt India?</p>

<p>On WION Edit, let's look at what this development means for India's policymaking.</p>

<p>One, India did not dump Iran just like that, Saudi Arabia had assured India of steady oil supply before the government decided to stop relying on Iranian crude.</p>

<p>Two, India has found other countries to buy crude oil from. The US itself is just one of the many countries India buys oil from. Crude imports from Nigeria as well as UAE have increased significantly in the last year.</p>

<p>So, is this a test of strategic autonomy?</p>

<p>It is. India has chosen to diversify its partners. This was aimed at achieving autonomy.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Saudi Aramco oil attacks: Impact on Indian economy</strong></p>

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<p>While some critics view the decision to side with the US as a mistake, it's important to remember that the Narendra Modi government had a few alternative choices.</p>

<p>The crude-exporting countries look at their profit margins and that impacts importers like India. That's why India chose to increase its imports from the US.</p>

<p>The tensions between the US And Iran did not help matters too. It would have been difficult for New Delhi to transact with Tehran and Washington simultaneously.</p>

<p>While India views its bilateral relationships with other countries independent of the regional conflicts in West Asia, New Delhi cannot afford to jeopardise ties with the US.</p>

<p>So will this decision prove right or will it land the economy in trouble?&nbsp;</p>

<p>If the remarks of the Oil Minister is anything to go by, India will not be affected in the immediate future.</p>

<p>But if tensions escalate, the Indian government would be forced to increase imports from other countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that's where the US could come in handy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the timing of the drone strikes is a cause for concern. Global oil prices surged the most on record after a drone strike on a Saudi Arabian oil facility removed about 5 per cent of global supplies.</p>

<p>The whole global economy is going through a rough phase. India is also seeing the repercussions. A significant rise in crude oil prices may exacerbate the pain on the supply side as well.</p>

<p>New Delhi will need to watch out for the developments over the next few weeks and take immediate measures to compensate for any supply shortage.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


For a developing country like India, oil is the lifeline. So will the decision to stop buying Iranian oil hurt India? On WION Edit, let's look at what this development means for India's policymaking.

For a developing country like India, oil is the lifeline. So will the decision to stop buying Iranian oil hurt India? On WION Edit, let's look at what this development means for India's policymaking. One, India did not dump Iran just like that, Saudi Arabia had assured India of steady oil supply before the government decided to stop relying on Iranian crude. Two, India has found other countries to buy crude oil from. The US itself is just one of the many countries India buys oil from. Crude imports from Nigeria as well as UAE have increased significantly in the last year. So, is this a test of strategic autonomy? It is. India has chosen to diversify its partners. This was aimed at achieving autonomy. Watch: Saudi Aramco oil attacks: Impact on Indian economy × While some critics view the decision to side with the US as a mistake, it's important to remember that the Narendra Modi government had a few alternative choices. The crude-exporting countries look at their profit margins and that impacts importers like India. That's why India chose to increase its imports from the US. The tensions between the US And Iran did not help matters too. It would have been difficult for New Delhi to transact with Tehran and Washington simultaneously. While India views its bilateral relationships with other countries independent of the regional conflicts in West Asia, New Delhi cannot afford to jeopardise ties with the US. So will this decision prove right or will it land the economy in trouble? If the remarks of the Oil Minister is anything to go by, India will not be affected in the immediate future. But if tensions escalate, the Indian government would be forced to increase imports from other countries. And that's where the US could come in handy. But the timing of the drone strikes is a cause for concern. Global oil prices surged the most on record after a drone strike on a Saudi Arabian oil facility removed about 5 per cent of global supplies. The whole global economy is going through a rough phase. India is also seeing the repercussions. A significant rise in crude oil prices may exacerbate the pain on the supply side as well. New Delhi will need to watch out for the developments over the next few weeks and take immediate measures to compensate for any supply shortage. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

WION Edit: Oil's not well

<p>At least six terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group have been killed in the latest drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.</p>

<p>According to a press, the airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Haska Mina district.</p>

<p>The local official confirmed that two others were also wounded in the airstrikes.</p>

<p>The IS has not commented on the incident so far.</p>

<p>On Saturday, Afghanistan&#39;s defence ministry said, 33 militants were killed in military airstrikes in the last 24 hours.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, three people were killed after a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near a compound housing foreign contractors at Kabul&#39;s PD9 area.&nbsp;</p>


On Saturday, Afghanistan's defence ministry said, 33 militants were killed in military airstrikes in the last 24 hours

At least six terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group have been killed in the latest drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. According to a press, the airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Haska Mina district. The local official confirmed that two others were also wounded in the airstrikes. The IS has not commented on the incident so far. On Saturday, Afghanistan's defence ministry said, 33 militants were killed in military airstrikes in the last 24 hours. Earlier in the day, three people were killed after a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near a compound housing foreign contractors at Kabul's PD9 area.

Drone strike kills 6 IS terrorists in Afghanistan