US airstrike kills senior Al Qaeda operative in Syria

A key figure in a dangerous Al Qaeda off-shoot has been killed in a US airstrike, the Pentagon has said.

Muhsin al-Fadhli - a senior commander in the Khorasan Group - was killed in an attack on the 8th July near Sarmada, a US defence spokesperson said.

Officials say the Khorasan Group is embedded in the al Nusra front, Syria's al Qaida affiliate.

Previously based in Iran, al-Fadhli was the subject of a 7 million dollar (£4.5 million) reward by the US State Department for information leading to his capture or death. He had been falsely reported as having been killed last autumn.

Capt Davis said he was "among the few trusted al Qaida leaders that received advanced notification of the September 11, 2001, attacks".

"His death will degrade and disrupt ongoing external operations of al Qaida against the United States and our allies and partners."