Senior Al Qaeda leader killed in drone strike in Syria: US
Al Qaeda terrorists
Pentagon said that a drone strike hit a vehicle in north-western Syriakilling a senior Al Qaeda leader. The north-western region of Syria is largely rebel-controlled.
The airstrike was conducted near Idlib. There are no initial indications of civilian casualties.
"Astrike near Idlib, Syriaon a senior Al Qaeda leader. Theinitial indications are that they struck the individual that they were targeting and that they don't have any indications at this time of civilian casualties. But they continue to look into thatof course," John Kirby Pentagon spokesman said.
Watch:
UShas carried out attacks in Idlib beforetargeting Al Qaeda terroristsand the slain leader of the Islamic State Group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was hiding in the province after fleeing from eastern Syria.
Large parts of Idlib remain in the hands of the Syrian-armed opposition which isdominated by radical groups including the Hayat Tahrir al-sham.
The latest USstrike comes just days after the US. admitted killing civilians instead of terrorists in a drone strike in Afghanistan.The strike had killed tencivilians including children. It was carried out during the final days of the UStroop pull-out from Afghanistan last month.
The drone strike was meant to hit a suspected ISIS-Koperation. The terror group had carried out a suicide attack on Kabul airport on August 26.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby addedthat defence secretary Lloyd Austin has directed the secretary of the Air Forceto appoint a senior officer to handle the review of the ill-fated airstrike.
"Part of that review will be to examine the investigation itself, the thoroughness of the investigation, to study the degree to which any policies, procedures or targeting mechanisms may need to be altered going forward," Kirby said.
The Pentagon spokesman said the review is expected to take 45 days.
(With inputs from Agencies)