US confirms Syria airstrike killed al-Qaeda commander
Sanafi al-Nasr, a leading figure in secretive Khorasan group, was planning attacks against America, Pentagon says
AP — The US military is confirming that an airstrike in Syria by the US-led coalition has killed a top al-Qaeda commander.
The Pentagon says a Saudi national known as Sanafi al-Nasr was “a longtime jihadist experienced in funneling money and fighters” for the terrorist network.
A statement from the US Defense Department says coalition forces conducted the airstrike on Thursday over northwest Syria.
The US says he was a leading figure in the Khorasan group — a secretive cell of al-Qaeda operatives who US officials say were sent from Pakistan to Syria to plot attacks against the West.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the military operation “deals a significant blow” to the Khorasan group’s plans to attack the US and its allies.
A US official who was not authorized to discuss the strike publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity said an American drone targeted and struck the jihadist leader.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.