ELIMINATED! Several Hezbollah field commanders killed in recent Lebanon airstrikes, claims Israel

First Published Nov 13, 2024, 2:59 PM IST | Last Updated Nov 13, 2024, 2:59 PM IST

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday claimed that several high-ranking field commanders of the Iran-backed militant outfit Hezbollah were killed in a series of targeted airstrikes in southern Lebanon. The strikes are part of escalating operations in the region as tensions between Hezbollah and Israel continue to mount.

The IDF reported that in early October, a fighter jet strike killed Muhammad Musa Salah, a prominent Hezbollah commander overseeing operations in the Khiam region of southern Lebanon. Salah was reportedly responsible for launching over 2,500 rockets targeting areas in Israel, including the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee, and the Galilee Panhandle, as well as orchestrating attacks on IDF forces in southern Lebanon.

Additionally, on Sunday, the IDF reported the death of Ayman Muhammad Nabulsi, who led Hezbollah’s anti-tank missile unit within the Hajjar regional division. Nabulsi’s unit was tasked with conducting anti-tank strikes on Israel’s Ramim Ridge region. This marks the second high-ranking Hezbollah anti-tank commander to be killed by Israeli strikes within the past month, reflecting Israel’s focused strategy against Hezbollah’s missile capabilities.

The strikes have also claimed the lives of Hajj Ali Yussef Salah, Hezbollah’s field commander in Kfar Tebnit, and another senior commander who oversaw operations around the Ghajar area. The targeted nature of these strikes highlights Israel’s intelligence capabilities in identifying and neutralizing Hezbollah’s regional leadership in response to cross-border hostilities.

"Eliminated: Muhammad Musa Salah, Ayman Muhammad Nabulsi and Hajj Ali Yussef Salah—Hezbollah’s Field Commanders of Khiam, Tebnit and Ghajar were eliminated in two separate strikes," wrote IDF in a post on X.

"These terrorists directed many terror attacks against Israelis, and were responsible for the launches of more than 2,500 projectiles toward the areas of the Golan Heights, the Upper Galilee, the Galilee Panhandle, and toward IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon," the IDF added.

"This further degrades Hezbollah's capability to carry out terror attacks from southern Lebanon against Israeli civilians on the northern border," it further said.

The IDF has also issued evacuation orders for civilians in Beirut, warning residents near six specific buildings in Hezbollah-controlled areas of the city to evacuate. IDF spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee released detailed maps urging civilians to keep a distance of at least 500 meters from these buildings, anticipating further airstrikes against Hezbollah assets in the densely populated areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs.

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