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

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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.

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“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.

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.

AFP

Published: Sat 23 Oct 2021, 6:56 AM

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

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