Israel kills Hezbollah commander during deadliest attack in Beirut in years

[JACK AYLMER]

ISRAEL UNLEASHED THE DEADLIEST ATTACK ON LEBANON’S CAPITAL IN YEARS, KILLING THE COMMANDER OF HEZBOLLAH’S ELITE RADWAN FORCE IBRAHIM AKIL AND AT LEAST 10 OTHER HEZBOLLAH OPERATIVES– WHILE WOUNDING DOZENS OF PEOPLE.

ISRAELI FORCES LAUNCHED THE AIRSTRIKE FRIDAY IN A HEAVILY POPULATED AREA OF BEIRUT, SAYING IT TARGETED AKIL, WHO THE U-S SAYS WAS INVOLVED IN TWO TERRORIST ATTACKS IN 1983 THAT KILLED MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE AT THE U-S EMBASSY IN BEIRUT AND THE U-S MARINE CORPS BARRACKS.

AKIL IS ALSO ACCUSED OF TAKING AMERICAN AND GERMAN HOSTAGES IN LEBANON IN THE 80S.

ISRAEL SAYS THE STRIKE IS IN RESPONSE TO AN ATTACK BY HEZBOLLAH EARLIER FRIDAY, IN WHICH 140 ROCKETS BOMBARDED NORTHERN ISRAEL.

HEZBOLLAH SAID THOSE ROCKETS WERE RETALIATION FOR THE PAGER AND WALKIE TALKIE ATTACKS THAT INJURED THOUSANDS AND KILLED MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE– THE EXPLOSIONS TARGETED HEZBOLLAH MEMBERS.

ISRAEL HAS NEITHER CONFIRMED NOR DENIED IT IS BEHIND THE SOPHISTICATED OPERATION.

ISRAELI FORCES TARGETED KILLING OF AKIL IS THE MOST BLOODSHED IN A BEIRUT NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE A MONTHSLONG WAR BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL IN 2006.

HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL HAVE EXCHANGED FIRE SINCE HAMAS’ OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK ON ISRAEL.

AKIL ALLEGEDLY HAD PLANS TO PULL OFF A SIMILAR ACT OF TERRORISM IN NORTHERN ISRAEL.

THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT POSTED A SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR REWARD LAST YEAR FOR INFORMATION LEADING AKIL’S IDENTIFICATION, LOCATION, ARREST OR CONVICTION.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M JACK AYLMER.