Ibrahim Aqila senior Hezbollah leader, was killed Friday, September 20, in an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The bombing claimed at least fourteen deadas the war front in the Gaza Strip shifts towards Lebanon.
This is a new blow for Hezbollah after a series of deadly explosions, blamed on Israel, targeting its transmission systems this week. “Very concerned”, the UN called on Friday for the “de-escalation” and to the “maximum retention“.
An Israeli military spokesman said that “air force fighter jets carried out a targeted strike (…) Eliminating Ibrahim Aqil, head of Hezbollah’s operations unit, commander of the Radwan unit“He added that “a dozen commanders” of Hezbollah, “responsible for the daily rocket fire” on Israel, had been killed in the raid.
Second top Hezbollah military commander eliminated
In turn, Hezbollah confirmed the death of Ibrahim Aqil. “One of our great leaders” was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” according to the formula used by Hezbollah to refer to the victims of Israel. A source close to Hezbollah indicated earlier that Aqil was killed “during a meeting with commanders.”
Fourteen people died in the raid and 66 others were injured, nine of them seriously, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, which stressed that rescuers expected to find more victims under the rubble.
This is the Hezbollah’s second top military commander eliminated by Israel since the pro-Iranian movement opened the southern Lebanese front almost a year ago, in support of Hamas in its war against Israel.
The United States had offered $7 million reward for any information on Ibrahim Aqil, who was wanted by Washington for his involvement in the bloody anti-American attacks in Beirut in 1983.
“A terrible punishment”
“The targeting of a populated residential area proves once again that the Israeli enemy has no regard for humanitarian considerations“, denounced the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati.
Hamas condemned a “violent and terrorist aggression” and Iran a “flagrant violation (…) of the territorial integrity” of Lebanon, while the Israeli army assured that it was not seeking “a broad escalation” in the region. “Our enemies have no place to take refuge, not even the suburbs (southern) of Beirut,” declared Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Following the explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday of transmission devices used by Hezbollah members, which left 37 dead and 2,931 injured, The exchange of fire intensified since Thursday between the Israeli army and the Islamist movement.
The military said Friday that about 140 rockets had been fired from Lebanon toward Israel by midday. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on several Israeli military sites, including an intelligence base.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday that Israel would receive “a terrible punishment” after the two waves of explosions. Israel has not commented on the attacks, which occurred in the southern suburbs of Beirut and in southern and eastern Lebanon, Hezbollah strongholds.
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