The military chief of Syria's al-Nusra Front militant group has been killed in an air strike, the group has said.
The jihadist group said on social media that three other leaders were killed along with Abu Homam al-Shami.
Syria's state-run news agency said the army had targeted Nusra leaders as they met in northern Idlib province, the Associated Press reported.
The Nusra Front is one of the most powerful groups fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
It was involved in a major attack on the Air Force Intelligence headquarters in the embattled city of Aleppo on Wednesday.
The group has long been considered an affiliate of al-Qaeda, although recent reports suggest it may be seeking to break those ties. The US lists it as a terrorist group and it is under UN Security Council sanctions.
'Unique operation'
News of the latest attack came as the UN's envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, hinted to the BBC that the UN might negotiate with al-Nusra to allow much-needed aid to enter Aleppo.
Al-Nusra named the three other leaders killed on Thursday as Abu Musab Falastini, Abu Omar Kurdi, and Abu Baraa Ansari.
Details of the attack are unclear. However, the official Syrian news agency described it as a "unique operation" carried out by the Syrian army in the al-Habit area.
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