Syria's Jaish al-Fateh says general commander killed by airstrike in Aleppo

Syria's Jaish al-Fateh rebel coalition announced the death of its general commander in an airstrike in northern Syria on Thursday, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said.

The group's general commander in the Aleppo province, known as Abu Omar Saraqeb, was killed among other rebel commanders when an airstrike targeted their gathering place in the countryside of the northern province of Aleppo.

Meanwhile, a military source told Xinhua that an unidentified warplane struck a meeting of top rebel commanders in Aleppo Thursday.

The airstrike killed a number of leaders of the Jaish al-Fateh, or Army of Conquest, including one of its founders, as well as a commander of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, previously known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Among those killed is also the head of the military operations of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, known as Abu Omar al-Homsi.

The rebel commanders were meeting in the countryside of the northern province of Aleppo when the strike hit, the source added, stopping short of giving details about the identity of the warplane.

Meanwhile, the Qatari-based al-Jazeera reportedly said the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition was behind the strike, making it the first U.S.-led airstrike to target Jaish al-Fateh.

Still, the airstrike comes as the Syrian army on Thursday recaptured the key town of al-Ramouseh in the southern countryside of Aleppo, further tightening the noose on the rebels in the eastern side of Aleppo city.

Jaish al-Fateh, an alliance of several rebel factions, was formed in March 2015 under the supervision and coordination of Saudi cleric Abdullah al-Muhaysini.

Some of its factions are active in the provinces of Hama and Latakia. The group seized most of Idlib province in northwestern Syria last year and it is actively supported by Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Endit