The US confirmed on Thursday that overnight airstrikes targeting a cell of al Qaeda militants had hit and possibly killed a top bomb maker in the group, French-born David Drugeon.

"He was among the targets," said a senior US defense official. "We think we got him," he added.

Drugeon is a Muslim convert suspected of working with al Qaeda veterans in what Washington calls the Khorasan Group. Little known to the West until the US targeted it with airstrikes, the group is believed to have been plotting attacks against US and European targets, according to Pentagon officials.

Against Western interests

"We are still assessing the outcome of the attack but have initial indications that it resulted in the intended effects by striking terrorists destroying or severely damaging several of the group's vehicles and buildings as well as bomb making and training facilities," the US Central Command said on Thursday.

"We took decisive action to protect our interests and remove their capability to act," it said, adding that al Qaeda militants, "are taking advantage of the Syrian conflict to advance attacks against Western interests."

ksb/glb (Reuters, AFP, AP)