Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

International

On Sep 21, 2024

15 minutes ago

Hugo Bachega

BBC Middle East correspondent

Reporting fromBeirut

Malu Cursino

BBC News

Reporting fromLondon

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Getty Images People check the damage following an Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 20, 2024.Getty Images

The strike caused at least one building in Beirut to collapse

A top Hezbollah military commander was killed in an Israeli air strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, in a major escalation that has added to fears of an all-out war.

Hezbollah confirmed Ibrahim Aqil’s death after Israel said he was one of several senior Hezbollah figures killed in the strike.

Earlier, Lebanese officials said at least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in the strike that hit the densely populated Dahieh area, a stronghold of the Iran-backed group in the city’s southern suburbs.

There were chaotic scenes as emergency teams rushed to the site of the attack, rescuing the wounded and searching for people believed to be trapped under the rubble. At least one residential building collapsed and others were heavily damaged.

Streets were closed by Hezbollah members, some looking incredulous as the attack represented another humiliating blow in a week which saw pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the group explode.

Dozens were killed and thousands wounded in those attacks, widely believed to be orchestrated by Israel.

Friday’s strike was the first to hit Beirut since July, when Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr was killed. (BBC News)

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