US Drone Strike Reportedly Kills Senior Al-Qaeda Leader in Syria
22:49 GMT 30.09.2021 (Updated: 09:05 GMT 10.02.2023)
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Media earlier reported that a drone strike on a vehicle traveling along a rural road in rebel-controlled northwestern Syria on September 20 left at least one person dead, without disclosing their identity.
A senior Al-Qaeda leader was killed in a US drone strike in Syria last week, Fox News reported on Thursday, citing defense officials.
"There are no indications of civilian casualties," undisclosed sources are quoted as saying. "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."
According to the report, the terrorist, Salim Abu-Ahmad, was killed in a US airstrike near Idlib, Syria. He was reportedly in charge of organizing, funding, and sanctioning Al-Qaeda strikes across multiple areas.
#Syria: after several months of pause, US resumed drone strikes in #Idlib. A car near Binnish was destroyed, killing one. Armed US UAVs were spotted past days. pic.twitter.com/ys6p6shpXK
— QalaatM (@QalaatM) September 20, 2021
The previously unnamed victim was reportedly lifted from the car near the Idlib-Binnish route east of Idlib province.
American forces carried out a "kinetic counterterrorism strike" near Idlib province which targeted a senior leader of the extremist group, according to the US Central Command statement last week.
"Initial indications are that we struck the individual we were aiming for, and there are no indications of civilian casualties as a result of the strike," Navy Lt. Josie Lynne Lenny was quoted as saying in a statement.
The United States has previously carried out multiple attacks in the area, claiming to have targeted Al-Qaeda terrorists Daesh* late leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was reportedly hiding in Idlib province after fleeing from eastern Syria.
14 September 2021, 17:13 GMT
Despite the fact that the US has never acquired a UN Security Council mandate or a request from Damascus to send troops to the Arab Republic, American forces are stationed in Syria and the military is conducting operations there. The presence of American forces on Syrian soil, as well as their involvement in the exploitation and export of the country's natural resources, are deemed illegal by the Syrian government.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip remarked that the US should withdraw its troops from other nations in the Middle East in the same way that it did from Afghanistan in late August. According to Erdogan, the US military contingents in Syria and Iraq should be withdrawn in order to "service peace around the world."
*Al-Qaeda, Daesh (aka IS/ISIS) are terrorist organizations outlawed in Russia and many other states
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