CENTCOM claims killing Hurras al-Din senior leader in Idlib
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday the killing of a senior leader of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hurras al-Din in Idlib Governorate, northwestern Syria.
The CENTCOM said its forces killed Hurras al-Din senior leader Abu Abdurrahman al-Makki in “a targeted kinetic strike.” Al-Makki, who holds a Saudi nationality, was targeted near the town of Ihsim in Zawiya Mountain area, south of Idlib.
Al-Makki was a Hurras al-Din “Shura Council member and senior leader responsible for overseeing terrorist operations from Syria,” the CENTCOM said in a press release.
Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM Commander, said “CENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of terrorists in the CENTCOM area of responsibility who threaten the United States, its allies and partners, and regional stability.”
North Press correspondent said, citing military sources, that al-Makki was previously a leader in the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jund al-Aqsa, and later served as a religious authority for Hurras al-Din.
According to the same sources, the drone that targeted al-Makki was an MQ9 and fired HELLFIRE missiles, which have been used in several previous strikes against al-Qaeda leaders in northwestern Syria.