Three MQ-9 Reaper drones that the U.S. military said had been “harassed” by Russian fighter jets over Syria on Friday were the same drones that later carried out an airstrike that killed a top Islamic State group leader, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday.
Usamah al-Muhajir was killed on Friday, CENTCOM said.
A defense official told ABC News that he was killed while riding a motorcycle in northwestern Syria in an area where the U.S. has carried out other strikes against terrorist leaders who operate in an area under Syrian government control and where the Russian military also conducts flight operations in support of the Syrian regime.
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News of the strike capped three straight days of tense encounters as the U.S. criticized Russian pilots for “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior with its drones flying over Syria.
Read more: ABC
