<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The leader of Islamic State in Syria, one of the top five leaders of the militant group, has been killed in a U.S. air strike, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In a statement, U.S. Central Command said Maher al-Agal had been killed in a drone strike in northwesten Syria and a close associate of his was seriously injured.</div><div><br></div><div>"Extensive planning went into this operation to ensure its successful execution. An initial review indicates there were no civilian casualties," the statement added.</div><div><br></div><div>It said al-Agal was responsible for developing ISIS networks outside of Iraq and Syria.</div><div><br></div><div>Reuters had earlier reported on the killing, citing U.S. officials.</div><div><br></div><div>It would be another blow to the Islamist insurgent group's efforts to reorganize as a guerrilla force after losing large swathes of territory.</div><div><br></div><div>The United States has roughly 900 troops in Syria, mostly in the east of the country splintered by a decade of civil war, although President Joe Biden's administration has yet to detail its long-term plan for the eight-year-old mission.</div><div><br></div><div>The Syrian Civil Defence, a humanitarian organization operating in opposition-held areas, said an unidentified drone targeted a motorcycle in the village of Khaltan in the northern countryside of the Aleppo region, killing two people.</div><div><br></div><div>In February, the top leader of Islamic State blew himself up during a U.S. military raid in Syria.</div><div><br></div><div>At the peak of its power from 2014-2017, Islamic State ruled over millions of people and claimed responsibility for or inspired attacks in dozens of cities around the world. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>