Israel strike in Lebanon kills Hezbollah drone unit head

Israeli strike in Beirut kills Hezbollah drone unit head, escalating tensions in the region, with casualties reported.

An Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday (September 26, 2024) killed the head of Hezbollah’s drone unit, the militant group and the Israeli military said.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement that the strike killed Mohammed Srur, who was born in 1973.

The Israeli military earlier said in a statement that its fighter jets had “targeted and eliminated” Mr. Srur, identifying him as “the commander of Hezbollah’s air unit”.

It was the fourth attack in a week targeting Hezbollah commanders in the densely populated area, one of the group’s strongholds.

Lebanon’s health ministry said in a statement that two people were killed in the attack and 15 wounded, “including a woman in critical condition”.

Srur studied mathematics and was among a number of top advisers sent by Hezbollah to Yemen to train the country’s Huthi rebels, who are also backed by Iran, a source close to Hezbollah said.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency said “three missiles” targeted “a residential apartment in a 10-storey building”.