US strike kills al-Qaida-linked commander in Syria – By Bassem Mroue (The Associated Press) / June 28, 2022
BEIRUT — A drone strike by the U.S.-led coalition in northwestern Syria killed a senior member of an al-Qaida-linked group, Syrian opposition activists and the U.S. military said Tuesday.
The attack on the suspected militant, who was riding a motorcycle at the time, came shortly before midnight on Monday — the latest in a series of strikes over the past years targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in northwestern Syria.
The U.S. Central Command said its forces conducted “a kinetic strike” in Syria’s Idlib province, targeting Abu Hamzah al Yemeni, a senior leader of Horas al-Din group. Al Yemeni was traveling alone at the time of the strike, it said, adding that initial review indicates no civilian casualties.
The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets, said the attack occurred just south of the rebel-held city of Idlib. The White Helmets said there were no other fatalities except the man on the motorcycle, adding that they have handed over the man’s body to morgue officials in Idlib.
