Israeli military says it killed Hezbollah commander
The commander, Ismail Al-Zin, worked in the anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan forces.
Israel has killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an air strike in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military has said.
An Israeli warplane targeted Ismail al-Zin in a vehicle in the southern Lebanese village of Kounine on Sunday, the military said on Sunday.
In a statement on Telegram, the Lebanese armed group confirmed the death of al-Zin.
The Israeli military described al-Zin as a “significant commander” in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces’ anti-tank unit, which has conducted strikes into northern Israel.
“Al-Zin was a significant source of knowledge regarding anti-tank missiles and was responsible for dozens of anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli civilians, communities and security forces,” the military said in a post on Telegram.
Hezbollah’s statement did not specify whether al-Zin belonged to the Radwan unit.
Hezbollah has exchanged regular fire with Israeli forces since its ally, Palestinian group Hamas, carried out an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which led to Israel launching an assault on Gaza.
Israel has killed 270 Hezbollah members and around 25 members belong to the Radwan unit, including at least three commanders, such as Wissam Tawil, a senior Hezbollah officer who played a leading role in directing its operations in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s shelling has also killed around 50 civilians – including children, medics and journalists – and hit both United Nations peacekeepers and the Lebanese army.
The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people in southern Lebanon and in northern Israel, where the Israeli military says 10 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed.
On Sunday, Hezbollah said it carried out seven attacks on Israeli troops and said one of its strikes targeted and destroyed “newly developed spy equipment” at al-Jardah near the Lebanese border.
The group also released two videos that showed its attacks on Saturday, targeting a group of Israeli soldiers at Adamit in northern Israel, along with a building used by soldiers near the border.
Amid concerns about a wider conflict in the region, the United States and other countries have sought to secure a diplomatic resolution to the exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah has repeatedly said it will not halt fire before a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza.
On Friday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant toured the army’s northern command and said the country’s military would keep up its operations against Hezbollah.
“We will make them pay a price for every attack that comes out from Lebanon,” he said.
