US forces killed 11 members of al-Qaeda in two air strikes near Idlib in Syria, this month, including a former ally of Osama Bin Laden, the Pentagon said. Captain Jeff Davis, a spokesman, said 10 operatives were killed in a single strike on February, 3rd. A second strike on February, 4th killed Abu Hani al-Masri, who had close ties to the late al-Qaeda leader.<br/><br/>Al-Masri is said to have set up and run al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan during the 1980s and 1990s. He also had close ties to Ayman al-Zawahiri, who became the leader of al-Qaeda when Bin Laden was killed by US forces in 2011.<br/><br/>These strikes disrupt al-Qaeda's ability to plot and direct external attacks targeting the US and our interests worldwide, said Capt Davis. Al-Qaeda's influence in Syria operates largely through an affiliate jihadist group, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham formerly known as al-Nusra Front.