An Israeli airstrike on a residential area of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, killed two top Hezbollah military commanders and other senior officials in a major escalation that has added to fears of an all-out war.
Hezbollah, the powerful Iranian-backed militia and political group, confirmed the death of Ibrahim Aqil, a senior commander in the group’s elite Radwan forces.
The group also confirmed that Ahmed Wahbi, himself a top Radwan figure, died in the attack that hit the densely populated Dahieh area – a stronghold of the group.
Senior UN official Rosemary DiCarlo warned that the Middle East was at risk of a conflict that could “dwarf” the devastation witnessed in the region so far.
Friday’s attack was another major blow for Hezbollah and the first airstrike to hit Beirut since July, when Fuad Shukr, a right-hand man to leader Hassan Nasrallah, was killed.
It happened just days after a wave of explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies used by the group that killed dozens, wounded thousands more and caused panic in a country already exhausted by almost one year of conflict.
Israel is widely believed to have been behind the attack, but has made no comment.(BBC)
