Hezbollah commander Taleb Abdullah in a poster published by Hezbollah’s Military Media.
A senior military commander of Hezbollah was killed late on June 11 in an Israeli airstrike that targeted southern Lebanon, the heartland of the group.
In a statement, Hezbollah said that Taleb Abdullah, also known as “Abu Taleb,” from the south Lebanese town of Aadachit, was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” its term for those killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) during the ongoing confrontation.
The commander was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Jouaiyya along with three of his comrades. The IDF didn’t announce the assassination.
Abu Taleb was the most senior commander of Hezbollah to be killed since the start of the confrontation with the IDF in the backdrop of the Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip more than eight months ago, a security source told Reuters.
He was identified by security sources as the group’s commander for the central region of the southern border strip. The sources said the four Hezbollah members were likely targeted during a meeting.
Hezbollah referred to Abdullah in its statement as a commander, which is very rare as the group does not usually reveal the ranks of its members.
The only other member of Hezbollah referred to as a commander was Wissam al-Tawil, the deputy head of the group’s elite Radwan force who was killed by Israel last January. Abu Talib was senior to Tawil, according to two sources cited by Reuters.
Hezbollah commanders Wissam Tawil and Taleb Abdullah in an undated photo published by Hezbollah’s Military Media.
The assassination of Abu Talib came after Hezbollah escalated its attacks against the IDF in recent weeks. Senior Israeli officials also made several serious threats to the group.
As of June 11, the clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli border have resulted in ten civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of at least 15 IDF soldiers and reservists. On the Lebanese side, more than 400 people have been killed, including 323 fighters of Hezbollah and at least 80 civilians.
Hezbollah’s response to the assassination of Abu Talib will likely be strong but well-calculated in order not to provoke a full-blown war with Israel.
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