(Previous Incident Code: S50)

A Jordanian airstrike against an “ISIL weapons compound” – in coordination with the US military – allegedly killed US aid worker and hostage Kayla Mueller, along with up to 30 militants from Islamic State. The US later said that “with the information that we have there’s no evidence of civilians in the target area prior to the coalition strike taking place.”

ISIS later sent Kayla’s family photographic proof of her death, which was then shared with the US intelligence community for analysis. According to White House spokesman Josh Earnest, the information “did not allow them to reach a conclusion as to the precise cause of her death.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights later claimed that ISIL suffered major losses in the attack, which was in retaliation for the burning to death of a captured Jordanian pilot: “At least 30 jihadists, and certainly more, were killed in coalition raids on Friday against positions and depots sheltering military vehicles and tanks, east and west of the city of Raqqah.”

Internally, CENTCOM reported that “Jordan officially denied the allegation,” adding that “Analysis of photographs indicates individual was unlikely killed by airstrikes.” Claims that the Coalition had killed Mueller were therefore dismissed as “Not credible. No further inquiry required.”