Obama sorry for drone deaths of hostages

US President Barack Obama has apologised for a counterterrorism operation in January that accidentally killed two aid workers held hostage by al Qaeda, American Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto. Photo: Reuters

Andrew Griffin in London
© Telegraph Media Group Limited

The US accidentally killed an American and an Italian hostage during a drone strike aimed at al-Qa'ida, President Barack Obama admitted yesterday.

The White House also said that it had killed two high-profile American members of al-Qa'ida, but that neither of the men had been deliberately targeted and US intelligence did not realise they would die in the strikes.