Wambui Faith
According to CNN, preliminary findings from an ongoing US military investigation suggest that an American strike may have mistakenly hit an elementary school in southern Iran, killing at least 168 children and 14 teachers, as reported by Iranian state media.
The February 28 strike targeted the Shajareh Tayyiba school in Minab while US forces were carrying out attacks on a nearby facility linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Investigators believe the incident may have been caused by outdated intelligence about a nearby naval base, which led to incorrect target coordinates.
Sources briefed on the investigation told CNN that US Central Command used target data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which was later found to be outdated, contributing to the tragic mistake.
Satellite images reportedly show that the school and the IRGC base were once part of the same compound in 2013, but by 2016 a fence had been built separating the two, with a different entrance created for the school.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Defense Intelligence Agency said the matter is still under investigation and referred questions to the Pentagon, while US Central Command also declined to comment citing the ongoing probe.
Earlier reports by Reuters and The New York Times also indicated that investigators suspect the strike was caused by outdated data.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was not aware of the reports suggesting the United States could be responsible for the deadly strike.
The investigation remains ongoing as officials seek to determine what exactly led to the attack and who bears ultimate responsibility, CNN reports.
The February 28 strike targeted the Shajareh Tayyiba school in Minab while US forces were carrying out attacks on a nearby facility linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Investigators believe the incident may have been caused by outdated intelligence about a nearby naval base, which led to incorrect target coordinates.
Sources briefed on the investigation told CNN that US Central Command used target data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which was later found to be outdated, contributing to the tragic mistake.
Satellite images reportedly show that the school and the IRGC base were once part of the same compound in 2013, but by 2016 a fence had been built separating the two, with a different entrance created for the school.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Defense Intelligence Agency said the matter is still under investigation and referred questions to the Pentagon, while US Central Command also declined to comment citing the ongoing probe.
Earlier reports by Reuters and The New York Times also indicated that investigators suspect the strike was caused by outdated data.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was not aware of the reports suggesting the United States could be responsible for the deadly strike.
The investigation remains ongoing as officials seek to determine what exactly led to the attack and who bears ultimate responsibility, CNN reports.
