U.S. military says drone strike killed al Qaeda leader in Syria

An airstrike in northwest Syria on Friday killed Abdul Hamid al-Matar, a senior al Qaeda leader, the U.S. military said.

In a statement, Army Maj. John Rigsbee, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said al Qaeda "uses Syria as a base for threats reaching into Syria, Iraq, and beyond," and al-Matar's death will rattle the terror group's "ability to further plot and carry out global attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians."

On Wednesday, a small U.S. military base in southern Syria near the border with Jordan was hit by a coordinated drone and rocket attack. No deaths or injuries of U.S. troops were reported.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up