(VOVworld) – President Barack Obama made an apology Thursday on behalf of the US government for the January drone strike against terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan that accidentally killed two hostages, an American and an Italian.

President Obama expressed his grief and condolences, saying the US government will provide compensation to the two families (photo:ibtimes)

Obama told media that he takes full responsibility for the US counter-terrorism operations targeting an al Qaeda hideout in Pakistan that took the lives of Warren Weinstein, a 73-year-old American, and Italian national Giovanni Lo Porto, 39 years old.The two civilians had worked for aid agencies and were kidnapped by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan — Weinstein in 2011 and Lo Porto in 2012.

President Obama expressed his grief and condolences, saying the US government will provide compensation to the two families and will do its utmost to recover the victims’ bodies.