Washington Reveals Identity of al-Qaeda Leader Killed in U.S. Airstrike in Idlib

The U.S. military announced on Friday that the senior al-Qaeda leader killed in a drone strike in the Idlib region of northwestern Syria on September 20 is Salim Abu Ahmad. The strike targeted a vehicle on the road from Idlib to Besh northeast of the provincial center, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reported the death of leaders "in a group affiliated with al-Qaeda." The U.S. military had confirmed at that time that a leader of al-Qaeda was killed but did not disclose his identity. U.S. Central Command spokesman John Rigsby stated in a release on Friday that Salim Abu Ahmad "was responsible for planning, financing, and approving al-Qaeda attacks across the region." The statement added, "There are no indications of civilian casualties resulting from the strike." Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as al-Nusra) and less influential opposition factions control half of Idlib and its surroundings. The area is home to three million people, nearly half of whom are displaced. These factions face repeated airstrikes from the Syrian regime and its ally Russia, as well as from the U.S.-led international coalition.