Israel says no refuge for its enemies
The Israeli army announced the “elimination” of Ibrahim Aqil, the commander of the force. Al-Radwanan elite unit of the Lebanese Hezbollah, and other “senior leaders,” were killed in an airstrike that targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The army said in a statement, “Earlier today, warplanes carried out a precise raid in the Beirut area, under the guidance of the Military Intelligence Service, and eliminated Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s operations system and the actual commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.” It added, “In the raid, senior leaders in the operations system and Radwan Force were eliminated along with Aqil.”
“There is no refuge” for Israel’s enemies, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said after the raid on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
An army spokesman said with,Ibrahim Aqil: About ten officials from Hezbollah’s Radwan Force were liquidated.”
According to the Israeli military, Aqil had been involved in Hezbollah since the 1980s and was part of a cell “responsible for terrorist attacks carried out by Hezbollah outside Lebanon.”
He also said that he “directed the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Beirut in 1983.”
According to the American “Rewards for Justice” program website, the United States has allocated seven million dollars for anyone who provides information about Aqeel, whom it describes as one of the “key” leaders in the party and a member of its “jihad council.”
She pointed out his involvement in two bombings in Beirut that targeted the US embassy and Marines in 1983, killing hundreds of Americans.
According to the Israeli military, Aqil and the other leaders killed in Friday’s strike “were planning” an attack on northern Israel “intending to infiltrate Israeli communities and kill innocent civilians.”
“About 10 leaders were killed” in the raid, along with Aqil, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a news conference.
“These are leaders who participated in planning anti-tank missile launches, rocket launches and planned incursions into Israeli territory,” he continued.
He noted that they had gathered “underground in the heart of a residential neighbourhood” where they were targeted.
