The leader of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria was killed on Tuesday in a drone attack by security forces. USAThe Pentagon confirmed to AFP.

Maher al-Agal died while riding a motorcycle near Jindayrisin Syriaand one of his top aides was seriously injured, Defense Department Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a reference source in the region, confirmed that Agal was killed in a drone strike.

The Syrian Civil Defense Force said one person was killed and another wounded in an attack on a motorcycle outside the city of Aleppo, but did not identify the victims.

Little information was available about Agal, whom the Observatory described as governor of the Islamic State for the Levant. The attack came five months after a nighttime US raid on the northern Syrian city of Atme killed Islamic State leader General Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi.

US officials said at the time that Qurashi died after detonating a bomb to prevent his capture.

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