US military says it targeted senior al-Qaida leader in Syria

According to the U.S. military, a senior al-Qaida leader was targeted by a drone strike in northwest Syria on Wednesday.

An opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported the strike killed one individual at a chicken farm near Harem. The dead man’s identity is unknown.

Over the past few years, similar attacks have killed senior Islamic State and al-Qaida members.

U.S. forces launched “a unilateral strike” in northern Syria before noon, targeting a senior al-Qaida leader, according to Central Command. As operational details become available, more information will be provided.

Army U.S. Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, said Wednesday’s hit “reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat” of IS and al-Qaida.

Most of those attacked in recent years were Horas al-Din, Arabic for “Guardians of Religion.” The group includes hardline al-Qaida militants who left Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Idlib’s strongest militant force.

Abu al-Kheir al-Masri, al-Qaida’s second-in-command in Syria, was killed in a 2017 U.S. airstrike.

Idlib is Syria’s last rebel stronghold.