Top Syrian rebel commander Abdul Qadir al-Saleh dies

A top Syrian rebel commander has died of wounds he sustained in a government air strike on a rebel-held air base near Aleppo on Thursday, reports say. Abdul Qadir al-Saleh, the leader of Liwa al-Tawhid, died overnight, a spokesman told the Associated Press. Abdul Aziz Salama, the brigade's political leader, had assumed overall command, the spokesman added. Opposition activists had said Saleh, also known as Hajji Marea, was in a good condition in hospital last week. Liwa al-Tawhid (Battalion of Monotheism) was formed in July 2012 to unite the many separate fighting groups operating in the Aleppo countryside. Later that month, it led a rebel offensive on the city of Aleppo. Liwa al-Tawhid is now one of the main forces operating in the province, and is estimated to have between 8,000 and 10,000 fighters. In January, it joined the Syrian Islamic Liberation Front (SILF), an alliance of Islamist rebel groups that recognises the Western-backed Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army but not the National Coalition.

Deadly tornadoes hit US Midwest states

One eyewitness filmed the moment the vehicle she was in drove under a tornado Continue reading the main story Related Stories Tornado causes devastation in Illinois Watch How do storm warnings work? Tornado Alley: Patterns without predictability Powerful tornadoes have swept through the US Midwest, destroying buildings and overturning vehicles in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. At least six people were killed, all in Illinois, and it is feared that several hundred people may have been injured in the fast-moving storms. A number of people are feared trapped inside buildings. Forecasters said people in 10 states had been at risk. Hailstones the size of tennis balls have been reported. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Pay attention to all weather alerts and stay home and inside if possible” Pat Quinn Illinois governor The storm was so fast-moving - with winds of up to 111km/h (68mph) - that weather services issued warnings for people not to wait until they saw the weather change. It is continuing its way east. November is ordinarily one of the quietest months in the tornado calendar, meaning these storms are unusually destructive for this time of year, the BBC's Nick Bryant in New York reports. 'War zone' About 80 reports of tornadoes had come in by late Sunday, said the National Weather Service - though a spokesman cautioned that multiple reporting meant the confirmed number might be about 30 or 40. All the fatalities were reported in Illinois, which was the hardest-hit state. In the town of Washington, Illinois, the tornado left a scene of devastation. Illinois state police say they are worried people may have been trapped in their homes. Dozens of people are reported to have been injured by the tornadoes. The fast-moving storm levelled houses and tossed cars around like toys. A number of trees were uprooted, damaging power lines. Fears that the storm could hit Chicago forced the evacuation of American football fans from the city's stadium. Three people died in southern Massac County, and one person died in the town of Washington, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency was quoted as saying. No further details were provided. An 80-year-old man and his 78-year-old sister were killed when a tornado struck their farmhouse in the rural southern Illinois village of New Minden. Eyewitnesses described how large parts of Washington had been levelled by the tornadoes. "The whole neighbourhood's gone. The wall of my fireplace is all that is left of my house," Michael Perdun told news agency Associated Press by mobile phone from Washington, where he said his neighbourhood was wiped out in seconds. "I stepped outside and I heard it coming. My daughter was already in the basement, so I ran downstairs and grabbed her, crouched in the laundry room and all of a sudden I could see daylight up the stairway and my house was gone." Illinois officials are describing the situation as "dangerous and volatile". State trooper Dustin Pierce told agencies there had been reports of looting in Washington and a dusk-till-dawn curfew had been imposed. Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version Patti Thompson, Illinois Emergency Management Agency: "We really need people to stay alert" Karen Harris, a food truck operator in Washington, told the BBC she saw a "car completely mangled, the houses gone". "Telephone wires [are] down everywhere, live wires are still down. I'm pretty traumatised from what I saw. "I actually saw a vehicle in the middle of the road, their left signal light turned on, like they were getting ready to turn, all the windows were out of it, blood was in the back seat. "Pandemonium. It looks like a war zone," Ms Harris added. Illinois police say they fear residents may be trapped in their basements under debris. In nearby Peoria, dozens of patients are being treated - some for serious injuries. Tens of thousands of residents were without power in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, utilities companies said. Parts of Wisconsin and Ohio were also hit by the storm. American football fans were evacuated from a stadium in the centre of Chicago as one tornado moved through the city suburbs. The White House said President Barack Obama was being regularly updated on the situation. Warning Laura Nightengale, a reporter with the Journal Star newspaper in Peoria, Illinois, witnessed the approach of a tornado from inside a house in the town. "From the window I saw this huge tornado, tonnes of debris flying through the air. "I took shelter in the basement. The area that was hit, it's just absolutely devastated - entire blocks where homes stood this morning right now are just rubble," Ms Nightengale told the BBC. The National Weather Service warned that showers, thunderstorms and windy conditions were likely for much of the north-eastern US on Monday morning. Some storms "could contain strong winds, hail and even an isolated tornado", it said.