A US airstrike in Syria appears to have killed a key French jihadist who is part of the terrorist Khorasan Group, a U.S. defense official said Thursday morning according to CNN.
The strike took place overnight Wednesday near Idlib according to the official, who reportedly has access to the latest information about the strikes.
The U.S. fired at a vehicle it believed carried David Drugeon (pronounced droo-ZHAHN), a skilled bomb-maker in his 20s who also has ties to core Al Qaeda members in Pakistan, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Khorasan Group is made up of senior Al Qaeda leaders who have moved into Syria.
Later Thursday morning, the U.S. military's Central Command announced that five U.S. airstrikes targeted the Khorasan Group in Syria on Wednesday night.
Drugeon was not mentioned in the announcement. But the command said that it has "initial indications that (the strikes) resulted in the intended effects."
The airstrikes hit terrorists and destroyed or severely damaged several Khorasan Group vehicles and buildings, the command said in a news release. The military said it believes the buildings were used for meetings, bomb-making and training.
The strikes were in the area of Sarmada, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Idlib.