Top Khorasan leader killed in Syria: Pentagon

Pentagon said Sunday that a top leader of an Al-Qaeda-linked group was killed in Syria in the U.S.-led coalition's airstrikes conducted on Oct.15.

Al-Qaeda-linked Khorasan Group's "highest ranking leader", Sanafi al-Nasr, was killed in northwestern Syria, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a written statement.

Cook described al-Nasr as a "Saudi national" and "long-time jihadist experienced in funneling money and fighters for al-Qaeda", adding that he moved funds from Gulf region into Iraq and then to al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan to Syria.

Pentagon did not give further details on the airstrike due to operational security reasons.

"He also organized and maintained routes for new recruits to travel from Pakistan to Syria through Turkey in addition to helping al-Qaeda's external operations in the West," Cook said. 

Al-Nasr formerly worked for al-Qaeda's Iran-based facilitation network and in 2012, he took charge of al-Qaeda's core finances before relocating to Syria in 2013, according to Cook's statement.

‎Al-Nasr is the fifth senior Khorasan Group leader killed in the last four months.

On the other hand, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter noted that "the U.S. will not relent in its mission to degrade, disrupt and destroy al-Qaeda and its remnants."

"This operation deals a significant blow to the Khorasan Group's plans to attack the U.S. and our allies, and once again proves that those who seek to do us harm are not beyond our reach."

The U.S. Treasury Department had previously named Al-Nasr a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on Aug. 22, 2014.

The U.S. believes Khorasan is a network of al-Nusra Front and al-Qaeda core extremists who have moved into Syria and have planned attacks in the U.S. and Europe.