Syrian Rebel Commander Killed

The Syrian rebel group the Army of Islam is mourning the death of their leader Zahran Allouch after he was killed in an airstrike on Friday. The group, which opposes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, appointed a field commander named Essam al-Buwaydhani as its new head. Allouch's death comes at a critical time in the Syrian civil war, as peace talks are set to begin in late January. The Syrian army claimed responsibility for the attack, but rebel group members claim that Russia was behind the strike.