US Central Command has confirmed the identity of two al Qaeda leaders that were killed by a coalition air strike in Husaybah, Iraq, on Nov. 2. During raids by ground troops in the Syrian border town, USAF F-15s used precision-guided munitions to destroy two safe houses that were believed to house terror leaders. According to CENTCOM, the two killed were: Asadallah, a senior al Qaeda leader in Iraq as well as a go-between for foreign fighters trying to gain entry into the country; and Abu Zahra, a key facilitator of weapons and ammunition for al Qaeda fighters in the Husaybah area and a close confidant to the Emir of Husaybah—a senior terror leader in the region.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
