Admin l November 23, 2016
Washington – Precision airstrike near Sarmada in northwest Syria by U.S forces on November 18, 2016 killed Abu Ayyub al-Masri, a senior al-Qaida leader in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook has said.
According to him, Al-Masri was an Egyptian joined al-Qaida in Afghanistan and later moved to its Syrian affiliate.
“He had ties to terrorist groups operating throughout Southwest Asia, including groups responsible for attacking U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and those plotting to attack the West,” he added, noting that al-Masri’s removal from the battlefield is another blow to al-Qaida in Syria.
The successful airstrike “demonstrates continued U.S. determination to target al-Qaida leaders wherever they pose a threat to the U.S., our allies and interests. They had a very productive call focused on the ongoing fight against [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant],” the press secretary said.
He thanked Barzani for the courage of Kurdish fighters and for close KRG cooperation with the central government in Baghdad and the coalition in planning and executing operations to free Mosul.
