Israeli strike kills top Hezbollah Radwan commander

In a separate operation on Thursday morning, the Israeli military struck Hezbollah operatives transporting weapons in the Yahmor area of southern Lebanon.

By Joshua Marks, JNS

The Israeli Air Force overnight Wednesday killed a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force in the southern Lebanese town of Derdghaiya, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.

According to the IDF, Ahmad Adnan Bajjiga had orchestrated numerous attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers during the ongoing conflict, and had recently been directing operations targeting Israel’s home front.

In a separate operation on Thursday morning, the Israeli military struck Hezbollah operatives transporting weapons in the Yahmor area of Southern Lebanon, the IDF said.

The military described the strike as part of its ongoing efforts to neutralize threats to Israeli security.

One person was reported dead following a suspected Israeli drone strike overnight Wednesday in the Lebanese town of Maaroub, near Tyre.

The strike reportedly hit a vehicle traveling on a main road, according to local officials and media sources. Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed the fatality but did not release the victim’s identity.

Media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah acknowledged the strike but did not immediately provide further details.

However, Hezbollah-linked networks later reported that Hassan Sabra, a Hezbollah commander from the village of Al-Qantara, had been killed by Israeli forces.

Overnight Monday, the IDF killed top Hezbollah terrorist Hassan Kamal Halawi near Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon.

On Saturday, the Israeli Air Force intercepted three rockets fired from Lebanon at the Galilee town of Metula. Three additional rockets fell short and did not cross into Israeli territory.

Syrian media report IDF strike in Latakia

In neighboring Syria, state media reported multiple Israeli airstrikes on the coastal city of Latakia overnight Wednesday. As many as nine separate explosions were documented in various parts of the city, including its port, according to the reports.

Syria’s official news agency, SANA, confirmed the attacks and said authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage and casualties.

The reported strikes come after Israel on Tuesday morning attacked the Tadmur base and the nearby T-4 airbase in central Syria.

The target of the strikes were “military capabilities that remained” following the overthrow of the Assad regime by Al-Qaeda-linked forces on Dec. 8, the army said.

T-4 is Syria’s largest airbase and has been linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Tadmur base is located in the Palmyra military airport.

Also on Tuesday morning, Israeli forces came under attack while on patrol in Syria’s Daraa Governorate, according to the IDF. The troops returned fire, and called in strikes on the source of the attack. Local media reported several fatalities.

Tensions remain high along Israel’s northern front, with continued confrontations involving Israeli forces and Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah operating in Lebanon and Syria.

In light of the security situation, Israel’s Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fox said on Wednesday that the Israeli army would maintain a permanent security presence in Gaza, Southern Lebanon and Syria.

“Unequivocally, the security zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria are permanent zones,” Fox said in an interview with Galei Israel radio.