The officials say that Muhsin al-Fadhli is dead. He was a leader of the Khorasan Group, a cadre of al-Qaida operatives who were sent from Pakistan to Syria to plot attacks on the West.
Officials say the Khorasan Group is embedded in the al-Nusra front, Syria's al-Qaeda affiliate.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the operation.
Previously based in Iran, al-Fadhli was the subject of a $7 million reward by the State Department for information leading to his capture or death.