Syria says it killed leader of Muslim unit's guerrillas

Syrian forces say they have killed the military commander of the underground fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood as part of a crackdown on antigovernment violence in Syria. The latest shooting is an attempt by the government to root out Muslim extremists opposed to the present Baath socialist administration of President Hafez al-Assad.

In July, the government announced a major new offensive against the brotherhood, which is opposed to Western and Marxist influences in Islam. The Syrian National Assembly passed a law imposing the death penalty for brotherhood membership, giving guerrillas one month to surrender themselves.