ABC News on Monday removed a video which the network presented as Turkish military forces attacking Kurdish fighters in northern Syria — amid reports that the footage may, in fact, be from a U.S. gun demonstration.
The footage, which ABC News purported was of an attack on the border town of Tal Abyad, was aired Sunday on World News Tonight and Good Morning America on Monday morning. However, a comparison by Gizmodo shows the video was captured at Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point, Kentucky back in 2017.
“[I]t’s clear that the videos are the same,” said the website.
On Sunday, ABC News anchor Tom Llamas aired some of the footage, reporting that it showed “the situation rapidly spiraling out of control in northern Syria.”
“One week since President Trump ordered U.S. forces out of that region, effectively abandoning America’s allies in the fight against [ISIS],” Llamas framed the purported scoop.
“This video right here appearing to show Turkey’s military bombing Kurd civilians in a Syrian border town,” he went on. “The Kurds, who fought alongside the U.S. against ISIS. Now, horrific reports of atrocities committed by Turkish-backed fighters on those very allies.”
ABC News has since released a statement in which it issued a correction and apology for the error.
“[W]e’ve taken down video that aired on World News Tonight Sunday and Good Morning America this morning that appeared to be from the Syrian border immediately after questions were raised about its accuracy. ABC News regrets the error,” a press representative for the network said.