Israel Strikes Hezbollah Assets in Beirut, Kills 3 Senior Figures

Jerusalem, 20 October, 2024 (TPS) -- The Israeli Air Force struck a Hezbollah a command center of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters and an underground weapons workshop in Beirut on Sunday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said. Separate strikes in southern Lebanon killed three other senior Hezbollah figures.

The IDF said steps were taken to mitigate civilian casualties included issuing advance warnings to the local population.

Three prominent Hezbollah commanders were killed in separate strikes in southern Lebanon.

Al-Haj Abbas Salama, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s southern front, was eliminated in the area of Tebnine, south of Nabatieh. According to the IDF, Salama oversaw combat in the Bint Jbeil area and executed many terror attacks against Israel.\

In addition, senior Hezbollah figures Ahmad Ali Hussein and Rada Abbas Awada and were eliminated. Hussein headed a weapons manufacturing unit that was responsible for the build-up of Hezbollah’s strategic weaponry, following in-depth manufacturing training in Iran. Awada was a senior communications expert.

The strikes follow Israel’s push deeper into southern Lebanon. The broadening operations suggest Israel has largely secured the immediate vicinity of the Lebanese border and will continue its efforts to eliminate Hezbollah’s presence from southern Lebanon.

After the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, the Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets and launching drones at northern Israel communities daily. According to figures released by the government on Sept. 29, more than 68,000 residents of northern Israel are displaced from their homes. Hezbollah leaders have repeatedly said they would continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes.

According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the terror group is forbidden from operating in southern Lebanon.