A U.S. drone strike killed a senior leader of an al Qaeda-aligned terrorist organization in Syria, officials with U.S. Central Command said.
The attack on the terrorism suspect, identified as Abu Hamzah al Yemeni, occurred Monday while he was riding a motorcycle in Idlib province, Syria. U.S. officials said they don’t believe any civilians were injured in the strike.
Members of the Syrian opposition forces, known as the White Helmets, confirmed there were no other casualties other than the man on the motorcycle. They handed his body over to morgue officials in Idlib, according to CBS News.
Al Yemeni is believed to have been a leader of the Hurras al-Din terror organization. It uses Syria as a safe haven to coordinate with other groups and plan operations outside Syria, U.S. officials said.
“Violent extremist organizations, including Al Qaeda-aligned organizations such as Hurras al-Din, continue to present a threat to America and our allies,” officials with U.S. Central Command said. “The removal of this senior leader will disrupt Al Qaeda’s ability to carry out attacks against U.S. citizens, our partners and innocent civilians around the world.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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