Top Hezbollah commander who ‘plotted terror attacks against Israel & missile blitzes’ killed in airstrike, IDF says
AN ISRAELI airstrike has taken out a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, the Israel Defensive Forces (IDF) has claimed.
Ismail Yusaf Baz, a senior commander who planned missile strikes against Israel has been “eliminated” in a strike in the Ain Ebel area, according to the IDF.
The IDF has claimed that one of their aircraft hit the region, just 7km north of Israel, on Tuesday night.
According to a statement from the IDF: “Ismail was involved in the promotion and planning of rocket and anti-tank missile launches toward Israel from the coastal area of Lebanon.
“During the war, he organized and planned a number of terrorist attacks against Israel.”
Hezbollah and the IDF fought fire with fire on Tuesday, with the Iranian-backed militants launching explosive-laden drones at northern Israel.
Local reports suggest that three people were injured in the attacks.
In a statement, Hezbollah claims that it targeted Israel’s Iron Dome defence unit in Beit Hillel, claiming that they had directly hit it and killed several crew members.
Hezbollah is yet to comment on the IDF’s claim that they killed Ismail Yusaf Baz.
It comes as part of a series of strikes against Hezbollah commanders in recent months.
Last month, the IDF released footage of the deputy commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit being killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Ali Abed Akhsan Naim’s car was targeted by an Israeli drone as he was driving down a road in Bazouriye, southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said on March 29 that Naim was one of the Iranian-backed militia’s leaders in heavy-warhead rocket fire, responsible for conducting and planning attacks against Israeli civilians.
At the time, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that “a raid by an enemy drone targeted a car” in Bazouriyeh and killed at least one person.
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have killed around 270 Hezbollah combatants and 50 civilians, including doctors, civilians, and journalists.
Yet, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has personally blamed Hezbollah for all of the damage caused to Lebanon.
He said: “The one responsible for the serious damage in Lebanon is Hezbollah and the one responsible for the many casualties in the Hezbollah group is [Hassan] Nasrallah personally.
“They have over 320 terrorists killed, and we will exact a price for any action that comes out of Lebanon.
“Wherever we need to act, we will act.”
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