Highest Ranking Hezbollah Commander Killed in Airstrike

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the targeted killing of Sami Taleb Abdullah, a senior Hezbollah commander, in an airstrike on Tuesday night. Abdullah, 55, who led the Nasr Unit or “Victory Force,” was responsible for the eastern sector of Southern Lebanon. His death represents a significant blow to the Iranian-backed terror group's operations in the region.

Abdullah, known within Hezbollah as Hajj Abu Taleb, had held his position since 2016. The airstrike that killed him took place in the Jouaiyya area, where he had overseen numerous attacks on Israeli cities such as Kiryat Shmona and Safed, as well as Moshavs Margaliot and Avivim, among other locations, since October 7.

Abdullah was notorious for orchestrating recent widespread fires in the Golan Heights and Upper Galilee and for launching Hezbollah’s Burkan missiles, which have a range of 10 km (6.2 miles) and carry up to 500 kg (1,100 pounds) of explosive material, targeting Israeli communities.

He is the most senior Hezbollah figure among the approximately 300 terrorists killed since the group began near-daily assaults on Israel following Hamas’s massacre on October 7. The IDF stated, “Abdullah was one of Hezbollah’s most senior commanders in Southern Lebanon who planned, advanced, and carried out a large number of terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.”

The airstrike also resulted in the deaths of three additional terrorists. In retaliation, Hezbollah fired over 200 rockets at northern Israel.

This operation underscores Israel's ongoing efforts to defend its citizens and maintain security in the face of persistent threats from Hezbollah and other hostile entities in the region.

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