Summary of 2016 Information Regarding United States Counterterrorism Strikes Outside
Areas of Active Hostilities
In accordance with Executive Order 13732, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is
releasing today a summary of information provided to the DNI about both the number of strikes
taken in 2016 by the U.S. Government against terrorist targets outside areas of active hostilities
and the assessed number of combatant and non-combatanta deaths resulting from those strikes.
“Areas of active hostilities” currently include Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
Summary of U.S. Counterterrorism Strikes Outside Areas of Active Hostilities
between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016
Total Number of Strikes Against Terrorist
Targets Outside Areas of Active Hostilities

53

Combatant Deaths
Non-Combatant Deaths

431-441
1

The assessment of non-combatant deaths provided to the DNI reflects consideration of credible
reports of non-combatant deaths drawn from all-source information, including reports from the
media and non-governmental organizations. The assessment of non-combatant deaths can
include deaths for which there is an insufficient basis for assessing that the deceased is a
combatant.
U.S. Government Post-Strike Review Processes and Procedures
The information that was provided to the DNI regarding combatant and non-combatant deaths is
the result of processes that include careful reviews of all strikes after they are conducted to assess
the effectiveness of operations. These review processes have evolved over time to ensure that
they incorporate the best available all-source intelligence, media reporting, and other information
and may result in reassessments of strikes if new information becomes available that alters the
original judgment. The large volume of pre- and post-strike data available to the U.S.
Government can enable analysts to distinguish combatants from non-combatants, conduct
detailed battle damage assessments, and separate reliable reporting from terrorist propaganda or
from media reports that may be based on inaccurate information.
Discrepancies Between U.S. Government and Non-Governmental Assessments
As described in last year’s report, the United States acknowledges that there are differences
between U.S. Government assessments and reporting from non-governmental organizations. In
2016, the U.S. Government reviewed relevant and credible post-strike all-source reporting,
a

Non-combatants are individuals who may not be made the object of attack under applicable international law. The
term “non-combatant” does not include an individual who is part of a belligerent party to an armed conflict, an
individual who is taking a direct part in hostilities, or an individual who is targetable in the exercise of U.S. national
self-defense. Males of military age may be non-combatants; it is not the case that all military-aged males in the
vicinity of a target are deemed to be combatants.

 including information from non-governmental sources, about U.S. strikes against terrorist targets
outside areas of active hostilities. No discrepancies were identified between post-strike
assessments from the U.S. Government and credible reporting from non-governmental
organizations regarding non-combatant deaths resulting from these strikes.
Although the U.S. Government has access to a wide range of information, the 2016 figures
released today should be considered in light of the inherent limitations on the ability to determine
the precise number of combatant and non-combatant deaths given the non-permissive
environments in which these strikes often occur. The U.S. Government remains committed to
reviewing any new credible information regarding non-combatant deaths that may emerge and
revising previous assessments, as appropriate.