US admits two hostages killed in drone strike on Al-Qaeda compound

A US counter-terrorism operation in January killed two hostages, one American and one Italian, held by al-Qaida in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the White House announced on Thursday.

The operation in which American doctor Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto were killed also resulted in the death of an American al-Qaida leader, Ahmed Farouq, the White House said. Another American al-Qaida member, Adam Gadahn, also was killed, likely in a separate operation.

In a statement, the White House expressed sorrow over the hostage deaths and said the United States had no reason to believe hostages were at the targeted compound.

The White House said it also believed two other Americans were recently killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the same region.

The White House believes that Farouq was killed in the same January operation that resulted in the hostages’ deaths. And it has also concluded that Gadahn was likely killed in a separate US mission.