World

US admits two hostages killed in al-Qaeda raid

April 23, 2015 6:08 pm

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.

Article continues after advertisement

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.