Israeli airstrike kills Hezbollah leader Nasrallah after Iranian mole's tip-off: report
- In Reports
- 11:43 AM, Sep 30, 2024
- Myind Staff
In a recent development in the ongoing war between Lebanon and Israel, an Iranian informant allegedly gave Israel crucial intelligence to conclude Friday's major airstrike that assassinated Hezbollah chief leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hours before the attack, which was carried out at Nasrallah's highly secure underground headquarters in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, the informant alerted Israeli forces to his whereabouts, according to a Lebanese security source cited by Le Parisien. The Israeli military sent f-35 fighter jets fitted with bunker-buster bombs to Lebanese airspace, where they were stationed until Nasrallah arrived at the command post.
Not too long after the funeral of a Hezbollah drone unit commander killed in an earlier strike, he was attending an emergency meeting with other senior commanders, including one from Iran's Quds Force. In the attack, two nearby buildings were destroyed and a massive 30-meter-deep crater was created by the dropping of six two-ton bombs. Reports show that the explosion was audible as far away as downtown Beirut. With Nasrallah's passing, this attack is regarded as one of the biggest against Hezbollah since 2006 and deals a serious blow to the group.
According to a report by the New York Times, Iran has shifted its focus to assist Hezbollah in regrouping, which includes selecting a new leader and reorganising its organisational hierarchy. According to the Israeli military, it has severely weakened Hezbollah’s leadership after eliminating eight of Hezbollah's nine most senior military commanders this year.
The explosives concealed in Hezbollah's communication devices were detonated during the most recent attacks, leaving around 1,500 of its fighters. After nearly a year of cross-border fighting, the attacks have dealt Hezbollah a stunning series of blows, eliminating a large portion of its leadership and exposing serious security vulnerabilities.
Israel's escalating bombardment has heightened concerns that the conflict might spiral out of control and involve not just the United States, Israel's closest ally, but also Iran. Israel has been at war with Hezbollah in Gaza since October 7, when the Iranian-backed Palestinian group attacked it. This is the most recent round of an ongoing four decades-long conflict between the two groups.
However, Hezbollah said in a statement that it would carry on its fight against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and defence of Lebanon and its steadfast and honourable people" after confirming Nasrallah's passing on Saturday.
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