Al-Nusra commander al-Masri killed by US drone in Syria

WASHINGTON - The United States military has confirmed that airstrikes and drones have targeted Al-Nusra Front's senior commander Abu Faraj al-Masri in Syria's Idlib province.

The Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said the US was still confirming whether al-Masri was killed in the attack that took place on Monday. The jets were also assisted by the drone planes during the attack.

Meanwhile, the militant group has confirmed the death of the commander.

In a statement Cook said: US has targeted "Egyptian national Abu al-Farai al-Masri, aka Ahmad Salamah Mabruk, one of Al-Qaeda in Syria's most senior leaders and a legacy Al-Qaeda terrorist who previously had ties to Osama bin Laden."

When asked to comment on possible impact of al-Masri's death, the spokesperson said it would "disrupt and degrade coordination among senior leaders and extremists" of al-Qaeda and other associated groups.

On the occasion, he also vowed to continue targeting the terrorists posing threat to global security as per the policy of the United States.

It is also pertinent to be mentioned here that Al-Nusra Front has been operating in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, for many years and is generally considered as a US-backed militant group against the government of President Bashar al-Asad.