Senior Al Qaeda leader killed in Syria – Pentagon

The US military killed senior al Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar in a drone strike in Syria, a US Central Command spokesman said.

"The removal of this al Qaeda senior leader will disrupt the terrorist organisation's ability to further plot and carry out global attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians," US Army Major John Rigsbee said in a written statement.

The strike comes two days after a US outpost in southern Syria was attacked. Rigsbee did not say if the US drone strike was carried out in retaliation.

Blast at US outpost in Syria

Last Wednesday, a US outpost in southern Syria was attacked, but there were no reports of any American casualties from the blast, US officials told Reuters.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it was too early to say who was responsible for the attack. One of the officials said it was believed to have been a drone attack.

The garrison, known as Tanf, is located in a strategic area near Syria's Tanf border crossing with Iraq and Jordan.

The garrison was first set up when al Qaeda fighters controlled eastern Syria bordering Iraq but since the militants were driven out, it is seen as part of the larger US strategy to contain Iran's military reach in the region.

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