U.S. military says drone strike killed leader of Al Qaeda-aligned group in Syria
The strike targeted Abu-’Abd al-Rahman al-Makki, a senior leader of the Al Qaeda-aligned Hurras al-Din
A drone strike in northwestern Syria on Friday killed a Saudi militant from an al-Qaeda-linked group as he was riding on a motorcycle, the U.S. military and a war monitor said.
The strike in the Jabal al-Zawiya area of the opposition-held Idlib province was carried out by a U.S.-led coalition that was established years ago to fight the militant Islamic State group.
The U.S. military has carried out a series of attacks over the past several years targeting al-Qaeda-linked militants in northwestern Syria.
The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces had killed Abu Abdul Rahman Makki, a senior leader in the group Horas al-Din, or “Guardians of Religion,” in a “kinetic strike.” It said Makki was “responsible for overseeing terrorist operations from Syria.”
U.S. Central Command Forces Killed Hurras al-Din Senior Leader
Earlier today, U.S. Central Command Forces killed Hurras al-Din senior leader Abu-‘Abd al-Rahman al-Makki in a targeted kinetic strike in Syria. Abu-‘Abd al-Rahman al-Makki was a Hurras al-Din Shura Council member… pic.twitter.com/eIxqqU1vFq— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 23, 2024
“CENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of terrorists … who threaten the United States, its allies and partners, and regional stability,” the CENTCOM commander, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, said in a statement.
Horas al-Din includes hardcore al-Qaida members who broke away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest insurgent group in Idlib province.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, said Makki was a Saudi citizen and former leader of the now-defunct extremist Jund al-Aqsa militant group.
Local media activist Kenana Hindawi said the motorcycle Makki was riding was hit by two missiles.
The Observatory noted that Makki had previously been imprisoned by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Last year, a drone strike in Idlib killed two members of the Horas al-Din group.
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