Mossad blamed for assassination of top Hezbollah commander, Soleimani ally

Younes was close to the recently assassinated Iranian Revolutionary Guards chief Qassem Soleimani.

By Aaron Sull, World Israel News

Hezbollah commander Ali Mohammed Younes was found dead near his car on Sunday with multiple stab and gunshot wounds. A suspect was arrested, the Iranian-based Tasnim News Agency reported.

London based Asharq al-Awsat reported that Younes, who was responsible for tracking down Israeli spies within Hezbollah, was working on a case on Saturday night when he was ambushed by three vehicles and killed.

Two unnamed Lebanese security officials with knowledge of the case said Younes was shot with four bullets in the chest and had at least two stab wounds, reported the Associated Press.

The motive behind the killing was not immediately clear, the officials said as quoted by AP.

Younes was reportedly close to the recently assassinated Iranian Revolutionary Guards chief Qassem Soleimani.

Arab News reported that the terror organization believes Younes was killed by Mossad agents. However, Anti-Hezbollah website Janoubia News editor Ali Al-Amin doesn’t believe this is the case because Mossad agents wouldn’t have been able to carry out such an operation without exposing themselves.

“Hezbollah described Younes as a martyr, which means that Mossad was behind his death, but those who know the area where he was killed know that it is open,” Al-Amin said.

“No Israeli agent could have carried out an assassination and hide so easily.”

“Most likely, this was an internal problem. That is why Mossad was accused. The party has resorted to that before, and it was found later that Mossad had nothing to do with it,” he added.

There has not been any official comment from Hezbollah on the assassination.