TWO Hezbollah terror chiefs have been eliminated in a pinpoint Israeli airstrike on a secret underground bunker.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say the attack targeted Hezbollah commanders and fighters plotting to unleash an October 7th-style massacre in northern Israel.
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Friday’s strike reportedly left the Iran-backed militia scrambling with Israel also wiping out 14 Hezbollah fighters along with the two top brass commanders.
Hezbollah confirmed that the blast killed Ibrahim Aqil – who had a $7m bounty on his head from the US.
Aqil was regarded as the second in command of the Lebanese terror group.
They later said it also took out fellow senior commander, Ahmed Wahbi.
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Wahabi was the head of the terror group’s “central training unit,” and was previously a top commander in the elite Radwan Force which fought in Syria.
Some 10 other Radwan chiefs from the terror group were also targeted as the IDF confirmed at least 16 fighters were eliminated.
The IDF named five other slain commanders in Samer Halawi, Abbas Muslimani, Abdullah Hijazi, Muhammad Reda and Hassan Madi.
Hassan Abd al-Satar, head of operations, and Hussein Hadraj, chief of staff, were also killed.
Hamas described the attack on Aqil as a “crime” and a “folly”.
They warned that Israel will “pay the price” for the airstrike.
At least 31 people were killed with another 68 wounded in the strikes on the capital on Friday, say Lebanon’s health ministry.
Three children and seven women are among those who died, health minister Firas Abiad said.
Another 18 are still missing feared dead, say rescuers who continue to search through the rubble after two apartment blocks were hit.
Ali Harake, head of the rescue team in Beirut, told Sky News: “When the whole building is demolished, you don’t think there is anybody living still in the rubble.
“I believe all the missing peoples are dead. We have to be logical in our thinking.”
These terrorists planned to do in northern Israel what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7th – invade Israeli homes and kill innocent people
Daniel Hagari
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari spoke last night on the airstrike on the terrorist targets.
He said they were all cowering under a residential building in the Lebanese capital.
Hagari said: “At the time of the strike, Aqil and the commanders of the Radwan Forces, were gathered underground, under a residential building in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut.
“Hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields.
“They were in the middle of planning more terror attacks against Israeli civilians.”
Hagari also said the men were in the midst of creating a sinister plan to invade northern Israel much like their allies Hamas did on October 7.
He added: “Ibrahim Aqil and the Radwan commanders who were eliminated today, were planning Hezbollah’s ‘Conquer the Galilee’ invasion plan – into Israeli communities.
“These terrorists planned to do in northern Israel what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7th – invade Israeli homes and kill innocent people.”
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Hamas thugs stormed into southern Israel almost a year ago and massacred over 1,200 civilians and took hundreds hostage.
Many are still suffering in the hands of their terrorists captors today as fighting in the Gaza region continues.
Images from Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighbourhood shows the aftermath of the airstrike.
A high rise apartment block can be seen with smoke billowing out from it after it was hit at around 4pm local time.
Dozens of residents can be seen standing outside the crumbling building as cops and emergency officials assess the damage.
Other images show debris from collapsed walls piling up outside as locals look on at the chaos on top of decimated cars.
Who was Ibrahim Aqil?
SLAIN Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil was regarded as the second in command of the Iran backed militia.
Aqil also sat on the Jihad Council which is seen as the highest military body for Hezbollah members.
He was believed to had have a $7million bounty placed on him by the US after his alleged involvement in a terrorist bombing in 1983.
The Islamic Jihad Organization attacked the US Embassy in Beirut and killed 63 people.
A few months later another bombing on a US Marines barracks in the capital led to the tragic deaths of 241 Americans.
Aqil was seen a key member of the terror group at the time.
The US Department of State also say he had been involved in a number of other terror related plots as well as kidnapping US and German hostages in the 1980s.
They labelled him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2019 and offered the bounty in return for information on the commander.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu posted a message on X after the strike saying: “Our goals are clear and our actions speak for themselves.”
The IDF also confirmed they are not seeking an escalation in the region.
But the strike on the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahieh has ramped up tensions amid fears of an all-out war in southern Lebanon which could suck in terrorist backers Iran.
Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blasted Israel earlier today for committing “shameless crimes” against children.
A revenge barrage of 25 rockets were fired from Lebanon on Saturday towards northern Israel, the IDF announced.
Cops say reports of rockets causing damage and sparking fires have been reported.
No injuries have been caused as of yet.
Friday’s Israeli air attack came just before Hezbollah launched their own menacing strikes across the border.
Three separate Hezbollah barrages, made up of Katyusha rockets, were recorded today with the first being made up of over 60 missiles.
Minutes later the biggest collection of rockets was let off from Lebanon with 70 being reported by the IDF.
Another 20 were then reportedly launched at the Mount Meron region in Israel.
The IDF announced that “their impressive Iron Dome had intercepted some” of the rockets.
Several of the missiles are believed to have been able to breach the Israeli defence system with billowing smoke seen rising across northern Israel.
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Images show a children’s playground near the Israeli city of Safed on fire with a thick, black cloud soaring from it.
Israel says many of the fires seen across the targeted regions are as a result of fallen debris rather than direct hits.
Air raid sirens were raised across the north after the first sightings were recorded with the Iran-backed militia saying it was targeting army sites.
Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire across the Israeli-Lebanon border in parallel with the war Israel has waged in Gaza against Hamas after October 7.
Hezbollah has named 497 members killed by Israel during the ongoing fighting since October, including troops lost during this week’s pager and walkie talkie blitz.
The group was said to be “rudderless” and in disarray” after the attacks killed at least 37 and left up to 3,600 blown up victims blind or maimed.
Recent attacks have even placed the British military on high alert to launch an emergency evacuation for those trapped in Lebanon with two ships also on standby in the region.
A defence source told The Telegraph the British government “stands prepared” to pull Brits to safety if the situation explodes.
Foreign secretary David Lammy outlined the preparations in an emergency Cobra meeting.
He yesterday warned Brits living in Lebanon to leave immediately while “commercial options remain”.
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