JERUSALEM, BEIRUT, March 31 (Reuters) – The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on a vehicle in Lebanon on Sunday, identifying him as Ismail Al-Zin, a commander in the anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces.
“Al-Zin was a significant source of knowledge regarding anti-tank missiles and was responsible for dozens of anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli civilians, communities and security forces,” the Israeli military said.
לפני זמן קצר תקפו מטוסי קרב מספר מבנים צבאיים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בהם שהו מחבלים במרחב מיס אל ג׳בל ובמרחב בליידא שבדרום לבנון.
בשעות האחרונות מטוסי קרב תקפו עמדות שיגור נוספות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב מרכבא, וכן עמדת תצפית של הארגון במרחב כפר כילא שבדרום לבנון. pic.twitter.com/kFyXhVFKSz
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 31, 2024
A source close to Hezbollah said Al-Zin was not a senior figure but confirmed he was in its elite Radwan unit.
Israel has now killed around 25 members of the unit, including at least three commanders, such as Wissma Tawil, a senior Hezbollah officer who played a leading role in directing its operations in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah began launching rockets from hilltops and villages in southern Lebanon at Israel on Oct. 8 in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which carried out a cross-border attack into Israel the previous day that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s shelling of Lebanon has killed nearly 270 Hezbollah fighters, but has also killed around 50 civilians – including children, medics and journalists – and hit both UNIFIL and the Lebanese army.
The U.S. and other countries have sought to secure a diplomatic resolution to the exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah said it will not halt fire before a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza.
(Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Suleiman al Khalidi, Editing by Louise Heavens and Sharon Singleton)
