US strike killed over 100 Al-Qaeda fighters in Syria: Pentagon
WASHINGTON, Jan 20, 2017 - A US strike has killed more than 100 Al-Qaeda fighters at a training camp in northwestern Syria, the Pentagon said Friday.
The air strike occurred Thursday at a camp in Idlib province that had been operational since 2013, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.
"The removal of this training camp disrupts training operations and discourages hardline Islamist and Syrian opposition groups from joining or cooperating with Al-Qaeda on the battlefield," Davis said.
US plane and drone strikes have killed more than 150 Qaeda fighters since January 1, Davis said, including Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, an "external operations leader" in Syria.
"These strikes, conducted in quick succession, degrade al-Qaeda's capabilities, weaken their resolve and cause confusion in their ranks," Davis said.
A US-led coalition is striking Islamic State group targets in Syria. But it has also hit Qaeda leaders and operatives from other groups including the Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which has renamed itself Fatah al-Sham.