Al Qaeda leader killed in Syria Airstrike: Pentagon

Washington, Oct 19: The highest ranking leader of the network of Al Qaeda operatives called the Khorasan group, has been killed in a recent airstrike, the Pentagon has said.

Mohsen Adballah Ibrahim al Charekh, also known as Sanafi Al Nasr, was killed in the October 15 airstrike in northwest Syria, Xinhua news agency reported Pentagon as saying on Sunday.

“The operation deals a significant blow to the Khorasan group’s plans to attack the US and our allies, and once again proves that those who seek to harm us are not beyond our reach,” the Pentagon said.

The statement called Al Nasr “a long-time jihadi experienced in funnelling money and fighters for Al Qaeda”. Al Nasr moved funds from donors in the Gulf region into Iraq and then to Al Qaeda leaders from Pakistan to Syria.

He organised and maintained routes for new recruits to travel from Pakistan to Syria through Turkey; and he assisted Al Qaeda’s external operations in the west, the statement said.

Al Nasr had worked for Al Qaeda’s Iran-based facilitation network, and in 2012 he took charge of Al Qaeda’s core finances before relocating to Syria in 2013, the statement said.

He is the fifth senior Khorasan group leader killed in the last four months.