MQ-9 Reaper U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Military
Aviation
/ Middle East
Conflict with USA
Abdul Hamid al-Matar, leader of al-Qaeda, killed in Reaper drone attack
By: Gabriela Ramos
On: 10/25/2021
MQ-9 Reaper
Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar was killed in an Oct. 22 air strike in northwestern Syria. The US Army claims to be responsible for the attack and, according to the US Central Command, the aircraft used was the MQ-9 model, remotely piloted. Also according to the Command, there are no signs of civilian casualties.
CENTCOM spokesman, US Army Major John Rigsbee, said, “Al-Qaeda remains a threat to America and our allies. Al-Qaeda uses Syria as a safe haven to rebuild, coordinate with outside affiliates and plan foreign operations.”
Rigsbee said al-Qaeda also uses Syria as a base for threats that reach Syria, Iraq and beyond. “The death of this senior al-Qaeda leader will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to plan and carry out global attacks that threaten American citizens, our partners and innocent civilians,” he says.
The attack came just two days after a US military post in southern Syria was targeted by drones and indirect fire, "in a deliberate and coordinated attack," he said. No US officials were injured in the attack.
Gabriela Ramos
Gabriela is the latest addition to the editorial team of our website, having provided us with her solid background in editing, publishing and photography, and her interest and training in aviation history and historiography. His good taste and common sense and great cleverness and sagacity in the selection of themes and materials greatly enriched our vocabulary and narrative style. Gabriela brought unusual predicates and came to stay, helping to point the way of success of our portal.
   
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