US military strike targets al-Qaeda leader in Syria

WASHINGTON

U.S. aircraft on Monday targeted one of the “most senior leaders” of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in Idlib, Syria, according to the Pentagon.

Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook said the operative was an al-Qaeda leader named Abu al-Farai al-Masri, aka Ahmad Salamah Mabruk, an Egyptian national.

Cooked described him as “a legacy al-Qaeda terrorist who previously had ties to Osama bin Laden.

“We are still assessing the results of the strike,” he added.

Mabruk was a member of the Shura Council of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known al-Nusrah Front.

The group recently detached itself from al-Qaeda.

Twitter accounts linked to the group confirmed Mabruk’s death, saying he was targeted by a drone strike.