US kills two al-Qaeda affiliates in northwest Syria
A US drone struck a vehicle carrying two senior commanders of Huras al-Din, one a Jordanian leader and the other a Yemeni leader of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group.
According to local reports, a US drone strike in northwest Syria’s Idlib province on Sunday killed two members of Huras al-Din, an Islamist militant group linked to al-Qaeda.
A US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson confirmed US responsibility for the rare strike. “US forces conducted a strike against al-Qaeda in Syria in Idlib, Syria, June 14, 2020,” Central Command spokesperson Navy Cmdr. Zachary Harrell told Al-Monitor via email. Harrell added, “AQ-S (al-Qaeda in Syria) continues to present a threat to America and our allies.”
He did not say which units were responsible for the operation or provide details of the people targeted. The US-led international military coalition against the Islamic State (IS) denied involvement.
Affiliates of another al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militia in Idlib, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, said on social media that two Huras al-Din leaders had been killed in the strike, including a Jordanian and a Yemeni.
