The Pentagon confirmed to the Free Beacon on Wednesday that a U.S. shipment of weapons dropped into Iraq likely strayed off course and was likely intercepted by Islamic State (IS, ISIL, or ISIS) militants.
After reviewing information about the weapons drop, which was intended to arm anti-IS forces near the embattled town of Kobani, the Pentagon determined that at least one of the 28 arms shipments "may have been seized by ISIL."
Reports and video emerged Tuesday that appeared to show IS forces digging through a U.S. weapons shipment that appeared to include grenades and other arms.
Department of Defense spokeswoman Commander Elissa Smith said that after further review of the multiple weapon airdrops, at least two bundles were determined to have strayed off course.
While one stray shipment is believed to have been destroyed after it hit the ground, a second was likely intercepted by IS fighters, Smith said.
"Although initial indications were that all but one resupply bundle was successfully delivered, a subsequent review has determined that a second resupply bundle was not recovered by anti-ISIL forces and may have been seized by ISIL," Smith said.
"It is therefore possible that the video released yesterday could be that missing bundle," she said. "We are confident that coalition aircraft successfully destroyed the other bundle which went astray."
However, reports that American-made arms made their way to IS are incorrect, Smith said. The weapons bundles did not include U.S.-made arms.
"Allegations that American-made weapons were among the Kobani resupply bundle are incorrect as the U.S. did not deliver any American-made weapons, equipment or supplies," Smith said.
Despite the weapons likely being captured by IS, the Pentagon still considers the overall mission a "success," according to Smith.
"All military missions incur some risk, especially airdrop resupply," Smith said. "It is common practice—and was in this case—that we drop more than what is required with the expectation that not all bundles will be successfully retrieved. "
"Even with the loss of two bundles, the vast majority of the supplies intended for anti-ISIL forces reached their hands," Smith said. "The mission was successful."
Pentagon leaders maintain that the capture of one weapons bundle is not enough to help IS in its fight.
"One bundle worth of equipment is not enough equipment to give the enemy any type of advantage at all," Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col. Steve Warren told reporters on Wednesday, according to the Defense Department. "It's a relatively small amount of supplies. This is stuff ISIL already has."
Warren said that a gust of wind likely took the shipment off course after it was dropped.
"There's always going to be some margin of error" when airdropping supplies, Warren was quoted as saying by the Hill. "Wind can cause a parachute to move off its intended target."