The White House has said that a US counterterrorism operation in January accidentally killed two hostages who were being held by al-Qaeda.
Warren Weinstein, an American, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian, were killed in the raid in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
President Barack Obama described it as a painful loss he profoundly regretted.
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Two other Americans thought to be al-Qaeda members were also killed, one of them in the same raid.
The White House said Ahmed Farouq, an al-Qaeda leader, was killed in that operation and Adam Gadahn, once regarded as a spokesman for the militant group, was killed in a separate raid.
Unnamed officials told Associated Press the attack that killed the hostages was a CIA drone strike.
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