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'Senior al-Qaida Leader' Killed in U.S. Strike in Syria
[AnNahar] A U.S. dronezap has killed a senior al-Qaeda leader in Syria who previously operated in Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.

The November 18 strike near Sarmada in northwestern Syria targeted Abu Afghan al-Masri, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.

"He had ties to terrorist groups operating throughout Southwest Asia, including groups responsible for attacking U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and those plotting to attack the West," Cook said.

Al-Masri was an Egyptian
... which is what al-Masri means. But we knew that. "Abu Afghan" means "father of Afghan," which is kind of an ugly name to hang on a kid...
who originally joined al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and later moved to its Syrian affiliate, Cook said.

The Pentagon did not immediately provide further information about Masri, only that he had a "big shotship role" in al-Qaeda.

"This is someone who helped organize al-Qaeda activities," Cook said.

He "has been on our radar for some time."

A U.S.-led coalition is striking Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group targets in Syria, but has also hit leaders from other groups including the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which has renamed itself Fatah al-Sham.

In October, the Pentagon said a U.S. air strike near Idlib had targeted a Nusra big shot, Ahmed Salama Mabrouk, an Egyptian also known by his nom de guerre Abu Faraj.
Posted by: trailing wife 2016-11-24
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=473955