A US drone strike in Syria killed a senior al-Qaeda leader earlier this month, military officials said Thursday.
Salim Abu-Ahmad was taken out while riding in a vehicle outside the city of Idlib on Sept. 20, and no civilians were injured, according to the Air Force Times.
“Salim Abu-Ahmad was responsible for planning, funding, and approving trans-regional al-Qaeda attacks,” Army Maj. John Rigsbee told the outlet.
“There are no indications of civilian casualties as a result of the strike. This strike continues US operations to degrade international terrorist networks and target terrorist leaders who seek to attack the US homeland and its interests and allies abroad.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sept. 20 the US was behind the attack on a militant who belongs to a radical group linked to al-Qaeda. The province has been controlled by armed rebels opposed to government rule.
The strike came hours before Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said an investigation was launched into the Aug 29 Afghanistan attack that killed 10 civilians.
The Kabul drone strike targeted an aid worker that was mistakenly thought to be an ISIS-K operative.
With AP wires
