US airstrikes target militant figures in Syria's Idlib province PHOTO

Several US airstrikes struck areas in northern Syria's Idlib province near the border with Aleppo, according to Sayrian media reports.

The strikes reportedly targeted at least one individual identified by local sources as Sami Mahmoud al-Aridi, a senior figure in the militant group Hurras al-Din. Reports said al-Aridi was traveling on a motorcycle when he was struck.

Al-Aridi has been designated by the United States as a wanted militant leader, with Washington previously offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his location.

Local reports indicated that the attack may have involved the use of an AGM-114R9X Hellfire missile, a modified precision-guided weapon known for minimizing collateral damage by using deployable blades rather than an explosive warhead. 

Witnesses also reported a second wave of airstrikes targeting a separate location in western Idlib province. The extent of the damage and any casualties from the additional strikes were not immediately clear.

By Sabina Mammadli