Military kills senior al-Qaeda affiliate commander

The military reported that Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, a senior commander of the Hurras al Din terrorist organization, an affiliate of Al Qaeda, was killed during a precision airstrike it conducted in Syria.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the death of Ziya Talay through a message posted on social media which it accompanied with a video of the moment of the attack.

"On Feb. 23, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, targeting and killing Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, the senior military leader of the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate," the military detailed.

"The airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond," it added.

Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, assured that "we will continue to relentlessly pursue these terrorists in order to defend our homeland and U.S. personnel," as well as U.S. allies and partners in the region.