Al-Nusra leader injured in airstrike, 12 commanders killed: Russia

The Russian Defence Ministry has said that Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of Al-Nusra, has been critically injured in an airstrike carried out by the Russian Air Force as a part of an intelligence-led special operation, while he was meeting his commanders in Idlib province in Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry said, in a statement.

Julani, the Commander-in-chief of the Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist group formed after the collapse of the Al-Nusra terrorist organisation, was targetted by the Russian airstrike in which at least 12 Al-Nusra field commanders and around 50 members of the group's security were also killed, the Russia Today quoted the ministry's spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov, as saying.

The airstrike on the Al-Nusra leader took place a week after the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that five prominent Al-Nusra field commanders had been killed in an airstrike in Idlib province in Syria.

Julani "sustained shrapnel wounds and is in a critical condition after losing his arm, according to information from multiple independent sources," Konashenkov added.

After getting the tip-off of the Al-Nusra leadership meeting led by Julani, Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-35 fighters were deployed to strike the location.

Julani was the head of the Nusra Front terrorist group before it merged with other militant outfits to form the so-called Tahrir al-Sham in January 2017.

Russia has been conducting air raids against the ISIS and other terrorist groups inside Syria at the Damascus government's request since September 2015.

September 30 marked the second anniversary of Russia's military operation in Syria.