An Iranian informant reportedly provided Israel with crucial intelligence that led to the assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a massive airstrike that targeted his bunker on Friday.
The informant tipped off Israeli forces about Nasrallah’s location just hours before the attack, which took place at his highly secure underground headquarters in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Le Parisien reported, citing a Lebanese security source.
How it Happened
The Israeli military deployed F-35 fighter jets equipped with bunker-buster bombs, waiting in Lebanese airspace for Nasrallah’s arrival at the command center. He was attending an emergency meeting with other senior commanders, including a member of Iran’s Quds Force, shortly after the funeral of a Hezbollah drone unit commander killed in a prior strike.
The attack involved dropping six two-ton bombs, creating a massive 30-meter-deep crater and destroying two neighboring buildings. The explosion was reportedly heard as far away as downtown Beirut. This strike is considered one of the largest against Hezbollah since 2006 and marks a significant blow to the organization, which has gone silent following Nasrallah’s death.
Read More: From Nasrallah To Nabil Kaouk, Top Hezbollah Leaders Killed As Israeli Airstrikes Rain Down On Lebanon
According to The New York Times, Iran is now focused on helping Hezbollah regroup, including appointing a successor and rebuilding its command structure. Israel’s military claims it has eliminated eight of Hezbollah’s nine most senior military commanders this year, significantly weakening the group’s leadership. The recent attacks also included detonating explosives hidden in Hezbollah’s communication devices, injuring around 1,500 fighters.
Stunning succession blows
The attacks have dealt a stunning succession of blows to Hezbollah after almost a year of cross-border fire, killing much of its leadership and revealing gaping security holes. Israel’s defence minister is now discussing widening the offensive.
Israel’s intensifying bombardment has increased fears the conflict could spin out of control, potentially drawing in Iran as well as the United States, Israel’s closest ally. Nasrallah’s body was recovered intact from the site of Friday’s strike, a medical source and a security source told Reuters on Sunday. Hezbollah has not yet said when his funeral will be held.
The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, their latest round of warfare in four decades of on-off conflict, has been waged in parallel with Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas since the Iran-backed Palestinian group’s attack on Israel last October 7.
(With agency inputs)
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