Israel's Air Strike On Beirut Believed To Have Killed Hezbollah Commander

Israel believes an air strike on Beirut killed a senior commander of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan.

Israel carried out the attack in response to a rocket attack on the Golan Heights that killed 12 youngsters three days ago, Reuters reported.

The attack caused a loud blast and a plume of smoke that rose above Beirut’s southern suburbs, which is a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, at around 7:40 p.m. (1640 GMT), a Reuters witness said.

Two security sources in Lebanon named the target of Tuesday’s attack as Muhsin Shukr, also known as Fuad Shukr, head of Hezbollah’s operations center.

Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad told Reuters the strike also killed another person and injured 35.

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Hezbollah denied involvement in the Golan attack but said it fired rockets at a military target in the Golan Heights. The attack on Golan Heights prompted a high-level Western diplomatic effort to avoid the conflict from escalating and provoking the wider Middle East.

There were about 25 rockets launched from south Lebanon into northern Israel throughout the day, the Israeli military said.

“We defer to Israel to speak to its own military operations,” the White House said in a statement reacting to the attack on Beirut.

“We reiterate our clear position: Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah, and we are working on a diplomatic solution that will allow citizens to safely return to their homes.”

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