US strike framed to spare civilians after mounting criticism

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and CHRIS MEGERIAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing criticism for civilian deaths in U.S. airstrikes, the Biden administration targeted the leader of the Islamic State group in a way that was riskier for American forces, landing dozens of U.S. commandoes outside his Syrian hideout rather than targeting him with an airstrike. But the U.S. raid still brought the deaths of women and children. U.S. officials blamed a suicide bomb detonated by the IS leader. The deaths highlight the challenge U.S. forces face in targeting violent militants, while bound by ethics and international laws and treaties to try to avoid killing non-combatants.