Jerusalem/Beirut: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it struck and killed a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon.
Abbas Hassan Karky, the logistics commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front headquarters, was killed in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon, the statement said on Friday.
It claimed that Karky led efforts to rebuild Hezbollah’s combat capabilities in recent months, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the IDF, Karaki “led and advanced efforts to rebuild” Hezbollah’s capabilities in southern Lebanon; restored infrastructure that had been destroyed during the fighting last year.
“He was also responsible for reestablishing the organisation’s force structure and for managing the transfer and storage of weapons in southern Lebanon.”
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle on a road in southern Lebanon on Friday, killing Abbas Hassan Karky.
A Lebanese security source confirmed to Xinhua that Karky was a Hezbollah official, without providing further details.
According to Lebanese media, Karaki was related to Ali Karaki, the former chief of the Southern Front who was assassinated alongside longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year.
The assassination of Karaki came a day after Israel said it carried out strikes across Lebanon against Hezbollah sites, including an arms cache and a training camp, with Lebanese authorities reporting four people killed, including an elderly woman.
Israel on Wednesday also announced the assassination of a platoon commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in southern Lebanon, accusing him of moving weapons and working on future attacks.
In both cases, like on Friday, Israel said the target’s presence or actions constituted a violation of the ceasefire.
A ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect since November 27, 2024, largely halting clashes triggered by the Gaza war.
However, the Israeli army continues to conduct occasional strikes in Lebanon, citing operations against Hezbollah “threats”, while maintaining forces at five main positions along the Lebanese border.
(IANS)
