The United States said it conducted air strikes on Wednesday night against the so-called Khorasan group, an al Qaeda-linked militant faction based in Syria, and said the group was plotting to attack Europe or the United States.
US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a target of the strike was David Drugeon, a French-born militant and convert to Islam who some US officials say is a bomb maker for the group.General Lloyd Austin, the head of the US military’s Central Command, said Drugeon was one of the group’s ‘leadership elements and one of the most dangerous elements in that organization.’ He declined to say whether Drugeon was killed, telling a forum in Washington the military was assessing the results of the strikes. Asked whether Drugeon was a target, he said, ‘Any time we can take their leadership out is a good thing.’
US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a target of the strike was David Drugeon, a French-born militant and convert to Islam who some US officials say is a bomb maker for the group.General Lloyd Austin, the head of the US military’s Central Command, said Drugeon was one of the group’s ‘leadership elements and one of the most dangerous elements in that organization.’ He declined to say whether Drugeon was killed, telling a forum in Washington the military was assessing the results of the strikes. Asked whether Drugeon was a target, he said, ‘Any time we can take their leadership out is a good thing.’