U.S. strike kills senior al-Qaeda-linked attack planner in Syria

U.S. forces have killed a senior al-Qaeda-linked attack planner in Syria, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced.

The strike, carried out last week, targeted Muhammad ‘Abd-al-Wahhab al-Ahmad, a member of Ansar al-Islam, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, according to a CENTCOM statement released Tuesday.

“U.S. forces in the Middle East remain postured to disrupt and defeat efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM. “We will continue to defend our homeland, warfighters, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond.”

CENTCOM did not specify the exact location of the strike or whether others were killed.

The operation comes two months after U.S. forces killed a senior ISIS financier during a raid in northern Syria.

Although ISIS’s territorial control collapsed years ago, remnants of both ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates continue to operate in parts of Syria, particularly in the north and west.