Pentagon: Ops Killed 499 Civilians in Trump’s First Year
THE TOLL
Delayed counterterrror report says 450 more deaths have yet to be assessed.
U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook/ Handout via REUTERS / Reuters
The Pentagon told Congress on Friday that nearly 500 civilians were killed in U.S. military operations during the first year of Trump’s presidency, CNN reports. “[The Department of Defense] assesses that there are credible reports of approximately 499 civilians killed and approximately 169 civilians injured during 2017,” the estimate states. This assessment includes deaths in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen that occurred as a consequence of Trump’s counterterror operations. The report adds that 450 deaths have not yet been assessed. A separate report out Thursday from the U.S. joint coalition against ISIS estimated nearly 900 killed between August 2014 and April of this year. Independent analysts have put the death toll far higher. The Pentagon missed a mandated May 1 deadline for the report.
