Senior Al Qaeda leader killed in US drone strike, says Pentagon

AFP

Washington - Move comes two days after base used by coalition fighting Daesh was assaulted

By AFP

Published: Sat 23 Oct 2021, 6:56 AM

Last updated: Sat 23 Oct 2021, 7:43 AM

A senior Al Qaeda leader was killed in a US drone strike in Syria, the Pentagon said Friday.

The strike comes two days after a base in southern Syria, used by the US-led coalition fighting Daesh, was assaulted.

“A US airstrike today in northwest Syria killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar,” said Central Command spokesman Army Major John Rigsbee in a statement.

There were no known casualties from the strike, he said, adding it was conducted using an MQ-9 aircraft.

“The removal of this Al Qaeda senior leader will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further the plot and carry out global attacks,” he said.

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At the end of September, the Pentagon killed Salim Abu-Ahmad, another senior Al-Qaeda commander in Syria, in an airstrike near Idlib in the country’s northwest.

He had been responsible for “planning, funding, and approving trans-regional Al Qaeda attacks,” according to Centcom.

“Al Qaeda continues to present a threat to America and our allies,” Rigsbee said.