French Al Qaeda Operative Believed Killed in US Strikes in Syria
Published at
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A French member of an elite al Qaeda cell is believed to have been killed in a series of American strikes in northern Syria targeting al Qaeda operatives dubbed the Khorasan Group, two U.S. officials said Thursday.
The Frenchman, David Drugeon, was purportedly struck as he traveled in a vehicle late Wednesday night, the officials said. He had been the main target of a handful of strikes in northwestern Syria.
In addition to his role in the Khorasan Group’s plots to hit the West with clever new explosive devices, Drugeon was once reportedly involved in French intelligence.
The Khorasan Group is a relatively small cell of al Qaeda veterans from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region who have infiltrated Syria to focus on external attacks against the West, according to U.S. officials.
The U.S. military said airstrikes late Wednesday targeted five “Khorasan Group” targets “using bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft.”
“We are still assessing the outcome of the attack, but have initial indications that it resulted in the intended effects by striking terrorists and destroying or severely damaging several Khorasan Group vehicles and buildings assessed to be meeting and staging areas, IED-making facilities and training facilities,” the military said in a statement. “These strikes were undertaken only by U.S. assets.”
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio