Airstrike Results in Death of Leading Hezbollah Commander
According to the IDF, Ibrahim Aqil, the leader of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
An Israeli "precision strike" in Beirut has reportedly resulted in the death of Ibrahim Aqil and several others, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who made the announcement on Friday.
Hezbollah later issued a statement confirming Aqil's death. The U.S. has held Aqil responsible for the April 1983 bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut, which resulted in 63 deaths, and placed a $7 million bounty on him in 2019.
In an official statement, the IDF said, “Air Force fighter jets targeted the Beirut area and killed Ibrahim Aqil, the head of the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s operations team, the acting commander of the unit Radwan and the commander of the ‘Galilee Conquest Plan.’” Additionally, several top officers of the Radwan unit were also reported as “eliminated” in the strike. The Israeli military indicated that Aqil and his unit were planning an offensive in Galilee similar to Hezbollah’s October 7 attack from Gaza.
According to reports, at least three individuals were killed and 17 wounded as a result of the bombing. Saudi TV outlet Al-Arabiya confirmed that Aqil was killed in the Israeli strike, though Hezbollah has yet to verify this information.
The IDF noted that Aqil had been leading Hezbollah's operations since 2004, overseeing various attacks on Israel. They stated their intention to “continue to act to undermine the capabilities of and damage the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”
Following Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's announcement of a “new phase in the war” against Hezbollah earlier this week, Israel has intensified its air and artillery strikes on Lebanon. The military claimed to have remotely activated hundreds of pagers and other communications devices belonging to Hezbollah, leading to at least 37 deaths and injuries to an estimated 3,000 individuals, including children.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah characterized the attack as a “massacre” and “a declaration of war,” accusing Israel of engaging in “sheer terrorism” and committing “war crimes” that have crossed “all restrictions and red lines.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
Hezbollah later issued a statement confirming Aqil's death. The U.S. has held Aqil responsible for the April 1983 bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut, which resulted in 63 deaths, and placed a $7 million bounty on him in 2019.
In an official statement, the IDF said, “Air Force fighter jets targeted the Beirut area and killed Ibrahim Aqil, the head of the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s operations team, the acting commander of the unit Radwan and the commander of the ‘Galilee Conquest Plan.’” Additionally, several top officers of the Radwan unit were also reported as “eliminated” in the strike. The Israeli military indicated that Aqil and his unit were planning an offensive in Galilee similar to Hezbollah’s October 7 attack from Gaza.
According to reports, at least three individuals were killed and 17 wounded as a result of the bombing. Saudi TV outlet Al-Arabiya confirmed that Aqil was killed in the Israeli strike, though Hezbollah has yet to verify this information.
The IDF noted that Aqil had been leading Hezbollah's operations since 2004, overseeing various attacks on Israel. They stated their intention to “continue to act to undermine the capabilities of and damage the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”
Following Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's announcement of a “new phase in the war” against Hezbollah earlier this week, Israel has intensified its air and artillery strikes on Lebanon. The military claimed to have remotely activated hundreds of pagers and other communications devices belonging to Hezbollah, leading to at least 37 deaths and injuries to an estimated 3,000 individuals, including children.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah characterized the attack as a “massacre” and “a declaration of war,” accusing Israel of engaging in “sheer terrorism” and committing “war crimes” that have crossed “all restrictions and red lines.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
