We admits two hostages killed in al-Qaeda raid- US

The White House has said that a US counterterrorism operation in January killed two hostages who were being held by al-Qaeda.

Warren Weinstein, an American, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian, were killed in the raid in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

President Barack Obama described it as a painful loss he profoundly regretted.

Two other Americans thought to be al-Qaeda members were also killed, one of them in the same raid.

The White House said Ahmed Farouq, an al-Qaeda leader, was killed in the January operation.

And Adam Gadahn, once regarded as a spokesman for the militant group, was killed in a separate raid.

The president, speaking at the White House about the operation that killed the hostages, said the US had launched the raid in the belief the target was an al-Qaeda compound with no civilians present.

He "takes full responsibility for these operations", he said.

President Obama said the operation was in compliance with the White House's counterterrorism protocols.

It's a "bitter truth in the fog war" that mistakes occur, but what sets America apart is facing up squarely to its mistakes, he said.

"There could be no starker contrast between these two selfless men and their al-Qaeda captors," the president said.

He also announced a review into the tragedy.