Hezbollah ‌Confirms Killing of Senior Leader in Israeli⁣ Operation

Hezbollah in ‌Lebanon confirmed the killing of senior leader Ibrahim Akil, known as Hajj Abdul Kader,⁢ during an Israeli operation on the southern ⁢outskirts​ of Lebanon. Several leaders of the Radwan Force were also killed in the operation.

Ibrahim⁤ Aqeel was⁤ a senior Hezbollah leader who was targeted by the Israeli operation along with other Hezbollah leaders. Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath sources confirmed that Ibrahim Akil, the Lebanese commander of Hezbollah’s elite unit Radwan ⁢Force, was killed in the Israeli⁢ raid.

Israeli Operation Details

Sources said an Israeli F-35 fighter jet struck the southern suburbs. The Israeli army’s ⁢press office confirmed Akil’s termination, stating that about 10 senior Hezbollah leaders were killed in addition to Aqeel.

American news website Axios quoted an Israeli official as saying the operation killed the entire senior leadership of Hezbollah’s ⁤Radwan Force, numbering 20.

Hezbollah’s Response

Following the Israeli attack, Hezbollah said it had bombed the ‍headquarters of military intelligence responsible for the “assassination” in northern Israel. The group targeted “the main ‌intelligence headquarters of the northern region responsible for the ​killings at ⁢the Basaliat base in Misha with⁢ Katyusha rockets,” ⁢in ⁣response to the⁣ Israeli enemy’s attacks.

Casualties ⁣and Aftermath

According to an updated toll⁢ released by the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the Israeli operation left at least 14 dead and 59 wounded, including 8 in critical condition. Aqeel, wanted by Washington, is considered “the second Hezbollah military figure ‍after Fuad​ Shukhar,” who was killed in an Israeli raid in the southern suburbs ‌on July ​30.

A​ live broadcast from Reuters showed ⁤thick clouds of smoke rising over⁤ Beirut and residents said they heard a powerful explosion. Meanwhile, ambulances rushed to the scene⁢ of the attack.

Escalating Tensions

It was Israel’s third attack on the⁣ southern outskirts of Beirut, a Hezbollah​ stronghold, since ⁢tensions between the two sides flared on October 8, the day after the war between ‍Israel and Hamas​ in the Gaza Strip began in October 7.

In January, an airstrike blamed on Israel killed six others, including Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau.