US aircraft on Nov. 18 killed a senior al Qaeda leader in Syria who is responsible for attacks on US troops in Afghanistan and had connections to terrorist groups across Southwest Asia. Abu Afghan al-Masri, who is originally from Egypt and joined the terror group in Afghanistan, was a “legacy leader” with the group, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a Tuesday briefing. The strike is “another blow” to al Qaeda inside Syria, he said.
The U.S. military conducted strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz on May 7, as the conflict with Iran flared up again—though officials say the ceasefire remains in effect.