US strike kills Yemeni al-Qaida-linked commander in Syria

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists and the U.S. military say a drone strike by the U.S.-led coalition in northwestern Syria has killed a senior member of an al-Qaida-linked group. The attack on the suspected militant, who was riding a motorcycle at the time, occurred shortly before midnight on Monday — the latest in a series of strikes over the past years targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in this part of Syria. The U.S. Central Command said its forces conducted “a kinetic strike” in Idlib province targeting Abu Hamzah al Yemeni, a senior leader of Horas al-Din group. Horas al-Din, Arabic for “Guardians of Religion,” are hardcore al-Qaida elements based in northwestern Syria.