Top Syrian rebel leader Abdul-Qadir Saleh dies after air strike

A top rebel leader died early on Monday of wounds sustained during a government air strike last week, his group said.

The death of Abdul-Qadir Saleh, founder of the Tawhid Brigade, dealt another blow to fighters reeling from a series of recent losses.

The brigade was formed in July 2012, uniting a number of groups fighting in the north. That month it led the rebel offensive on the city of Aleppo, seizing large sections of the city. But it has suffered setbacks in recent weeks. It is part of an alliance of Islamist groups which mostly recognise the Free Syrian Army’s military council.

AP