U.S. Central Command forces, alongside U.K. forces, launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets at 13 locations in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen on Feb. 3, 2024. (U.S. Central Command)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military assesses its operations in 2024 resulted in two civilian deaths and two civilian injuries in the Middle East, the Pentagon wrote in its annual report submitted Tuesday to Congress.
The first incident resulted in the death of a man in an airstrike that occurred between Feb. 2 and Feb. 3 in al-Qaim, Iraq. The strike came after three U.S. soldiers were killed in an attack on a Jordan base on Jan. 28. Five days later, the Biden administration ordered strikes on targets in Syria and in the western Iraqi towns of al-Qaim and Akashat.
The strikes were against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and affiliated militia groups, striking seven facilities, defense officials said at the time. The U.S. military struck more than 85 targets and employed more than 125 precision munitions.
“Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve contacted the affected family to express their condolence,” the 10-page report states.
The second incident happened Feb. 22 in the vicinity of Al-Hasakah, Syria. It resulted in the death of a child and injuries to two other children.
“No combat operation was related to this incident, which was more likely than not due to a compilation of factors related to operating a military weapons range,” according to the report.
A civilian assessment recommended the installation of a fence or barrier along the perimeter of the range to establish boundary lines and prevent civilians from entering.
Both incidents are under consideration regarding whether to offer ex gratia payments. Payments are intended for those who have experienced property damage, personal injury or death as a result of U.S. military activities.
The Pentagon has been compiling the report on civilian casualties in military operations during the previous year since the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law.
As of Feb. 1, 2025, U.S. Central Command had yet to assess whether reports of civilian harm last year in Yemen were the result of U.S. military operations. But CENTCOM, which overseas military operations in the Middle East, is assessing eight reports from nongovernmental organizations that found civilian harm that could be related to U.S. military operations in the country.
The U.S. is one of several countries providing support to Somalia. U.S. Africa Command reviewed seven reports of civilian harm. AFRICOM closed reviews of five of those reports, assessing the civilian harm reported could have been the result of U.S. military operations.
In another case, AFRICOM could correlate the report to kinetic activity, meaning activity that generally refers to traditional explosive weapons, but determined U.S. military operations were “unlikely to have caused the harm,” according to the annual assessment.
