An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.
Immediate Release

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook Statement on Strike Against Al Qaida Leader

Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, an al-Qaida external operations leader, was killed by a U.S. precision airstrike Jan. 17 near Idlib, Syria. He was involved in extremist facilitation and external operations and has been connected to terrorist plots to attack Western targets. Boussadoun, a Tunisian, arrived in Syria in 2014 after spending several years in countries across Europe and the Middle East, where he maintained ties with multiple extremists. Boussadoun's death will degrade al-Qaida's pool of experienced, well-connected facilitators and fighters with external operations experience.