US forces have carried out a strike which killed an al-Qaeda leader “who had direct ties” to an Islamic State (IS) group terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed three Americans in Syria, officials have said.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement that Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was killed in the attack on Friday, which took place in northwest Syria.

The statement says he was “directly connected” with the IS group gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel.

The BBC has not independently verified the US claims.