Beirut:
An attack targeting leaders of the jihadist Al-Nusra Front in Syria killed several leaders of the Al-Qaeda affiliate in the northwestern province of Idlib, a monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights yesterday said "anumber of Al-Nusra Front leaders were killed" in the attack asthey gathered for a meeting, but was unable to say if itschief, Abu Mohamed al-Jolani, was among them.
"It's not clear if the attack was carried out by thecoalition or the regime, and there is contradictoryinformation over the fate of Abu Mohamed al-Jolani... amidreports that he was at the place of the attack," Observatorydirector Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
Abdel Rahman, whose group relies on a network of sourceson the ground for its reports, was referring to the US-ledcoalition carrying out air strikes against jihadists in Iraqand Syria since last year, and the regime of Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad. Thursday's attack came after Al-Nusra Front overran Base46 -- the main operations centre of the Western-backed Hazmmovement in the neighbouring province of Aleppo.
Pentagon spokesman, Colonel Steve Warren, said: "We cannotconfirm press reports of the deaths of senior al-Nusra leadersnear the province of Idlib." However, he added: "Neither the US or the coalition haveconducted airstrikes near that location in recent days."
