The US airstrike that killed the highest-ranking leader of the Khorasan Group in Syria on Oct. 15 took place west of Aleppo, in an area where Russian aircraft have been active, further emphasizing the need for an agreement between the US and Russia on operating safely in the country, a Pentagon official said Monday. Coalition forces conducted the airstrike, killing Abdul Mohsen Adballah Ibrahim al Charekh, also known as Sanafi al-Nasr. Al-Nasr was the leader of the Khorasan Group, which the Pentagon described as a network of veteran al-Qaeda operatives focused on external attacks, Defense Department spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said. The strike means the group will be less likely to be able to carry out attacks on US soil or in other Western countries. The attack comes as the US and Russia are finalizing their memorandum of understanding on how to interact and avoid any conflict during flight over Syria. While the Pentagon disagrees “with basically everything” Russia is doing in Syria, it is important to keep US pilots safe while flying, Davis said.
President Donald Trump on July 4 signed into law $150 billion in defense funds as part of the tax-and-spending package known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” after congressional Republicans approved the legislation in narrow, drawn-out votes earlier this week.
