Senior Hezbollah commander killed by Israel in Beirut suburbs: source from group to AFP

BEIRUT: A senior Hezbollah commander from the group’s elite Radwan force was killed in Israel’s strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday evening, a source close to the group said.

The attack is the first on the area in nearly a month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military had targeted “the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan force”.

The source close to Hezbollah told AFP on condition of anonymity that “Malek Ballout, the operations commander in the Radwan force” was killed.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency had reported that “Israeli warplanes launched an attack, targeting Ghobeiri” in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

AFP journalists saw smoke rising from the targeted area.

Also read: Top Hezbollah commander among 14 killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

Beirut and its southern suburbs had been spared Israeli attacks since April 8, when massive Israeli strikes across the country killed more than 350 people.

Wednesday’s attack came as US President Donald Trump said there was “a very good chance” of sealing a peace deal with Iran.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by attacking Israel in support of its backer Iran.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon have since killed more than 2,700 people and displaced more than a million, particularly from southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

While a truce went into force on April 17, Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon, particularly the south, with Hezbollah retaliating by launching attacks on Israeli troops.