Syria’s al-Qaida announces commander killed in airstrike

BEIRUT – Syria’s rebranded al-Qaida affiliate says a senior commander who led military operations in the war-wrecked Aleppo has been killed in an airstrike.

A Twitter account for the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, said Thursday the commander of the alliance leading the fight in Aleppo was killed in an airstrike in the province rural areas. It doesn’t say when who carried out the airstrike against the commander who goes by the name Abu Omar Saraqib or when.

The U.S -led coalition, Russia and Syrian government warplanes have been conducting airstrikes against militant groups. Jabhat al-Nusra recently changed its name, saying it was delinking with al-Qaida central command. But the move was seen as way to avoid targeting.

Moscow and Washington have been discussing co-ordinating targeting militants in Syria.