According to US Central Command, children who survived the coalition air strike on an al-Qaeda compound in Paktika Province in Afghanistan, the enemy operatives forced the children to remain out of sight inside the compound for an entire day during which coalition forces had it under observation. Witnesses said the children were beaten if they tried to leave. The strike killed seven children and several militants. In a statement, CENTCOM spokesman Army Maj. Chris Belcher said: “We are truly sorry for the innocent lives lost in this attack. We had surveillance on the compound all day and saw no indications there were children inside the building.”
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.