US Forces Kill Al-Qaeda Commander in Drone Strike in Syria

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. military reportedly killed a senior Al-Qaeda commander in a drone strike in northwestern Syria. As Al-Qaeda's terrorist activities have intensified across the Middle East following the Taliban's recent reestablishment of control in Afghanistan, the U.S. military continues its offensive against Al-Qaeda as part of its counterterrorism operations.

The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East region, announced on the 2nd (local time) that it killed senior Al-Qaeda commander Salim Abu-Ahmad in a drone strike in the Idlib area of northwestern Syria. John Riggsby, spokesperson for Central Command, stated, "Salim Abu-Ahmad played a role in planning and approving Al-Qaeda attacks," adding, "There were no civilian casualties during the operation."

According to AFP, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in London focused on the Syrian civil war, reported that on the 20th of last month, the U.S. military attacked a vehicle traveling to Binnish in Idlib with a drone strike, killing two extremist group commanders. At that time, Central Command acknowledged killing Al-Qaeda affiliates but did not disclose specific identities.

The Idlib region, the last stronghold of Syrian rebel forces, is currently controlled by extremist armed groups. Notably, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed group originating from the former Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, has grown to become the largest faction among the rebel groups in the Idlib area.