Drone Strike in Syria Eliminates Saudi al-Qaida Leader

A drone strike in Syria's Idlib province killed Saudi militant Abu Abdul Rahman Makki. Believed to be conducted by a US-led coalition, the strike targeted the al-Qaida-linked leader. Makki was associated with extremist group Jund al-Aqsa and the Horas al-Din faction. The US has targeted such militants repeatedly.

A drone strike in northwestern Syria on Friday killed a Saudi militant from an al-Qaida-linked group as he was riding on a motorcycle, a war monitor and local residents said.

The strike in the Jabal al-Zawiya area of the opposition-held Idlib province was believed to have been carried out by a US-led coalition that was established years ago to fight the militant Islamic State group.

There was no immediate comment from the US military, which has carried out a series of attacks over the past several years targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in northwestern Syria.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, said the killed man was identified as Abu Abdul Rahman Makki, a Saudi citizen and former leader of the now-defunct extremist Jund al-Aqsa militant group.

Local media activist Kenana Hindawi said the motorcycle Makki was riding was hit by two missiles.

The US National Counterterrorism Centre currently lists Makki as a leader in the Horas al-Din, or "Guardians of Religion", group, which includes hardcore al-Qaida members who broke away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest insurgent group in Idlib province.

The Observatory noted that Makki had previously been imprisoned by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Last year, a drone strike in Idlib killed two members of the Horas al-Din group.

(With inputs from agencies.)