US Drone Strike Kills Top Al Qaeda Leader In Syria, Says Pentagon

"A US airstrike today in northwest Syria killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar," Central Command spokesman Army Major John Rigsbee was quoted by AFP in its report.

Representational Image. (File Photo)

New Delhi: The United States (US) Pentagon on Friday said that one of the top leaders from Al-Qaeda has been killed in Syria by a US Drone strike, news agency AFP reported.

Recently, a US base in Southern Syria was assaulted. Two days after the assault the US conducted a drone strike that killed one of the top leaders of the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda.

"A US airstrike today in northwest Syria killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar," Central Command spokesman Army Major John Rigsbee was quoted by AFP in its report.

He further said that the airstrike was conducted by the MQ-9 aircraft and there was no reported casualty from the strike.

While emphasising the killing of the top al-Qaeda leader will lead to disruptions within the terror outfit, he said, "The removal of this al-Qaeda senior leader will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to further plot and carry out global attacks." 

Earlier in September, the US was able to neutralize another al-Qaeda leader Salim Abu-Ahmad in an airstrike that was conducted near Idlib in northwest Syria.

According to Centcom, Salim Abu-Ahmad was responsible for planning, funding, and approving trans-regional Al-Qaeda attacks.

"Al-Qaeda continues to present a threat to America and our allies. Al-Qaeda uses Syria as a safe haven to rebuild, coordinate with external affiliates, and plan external operations," Rigsbee was further quoted by AFP in its report.

The ongoing conflict in Syria has claimed around half a million people's lives since 2011 thus creating a battleground involving foreign armies, militias and jihadists.

(With inputs from AFP)