An alleged Israeli airstrike on Tuesday killed a top Hezbollah commander who was responsible for launching suicide drone attacks on Israel, including an attack earlier in the day.
The Times of Israel reported that Ali Hussein Barji was the commander of Hezbollah’s aerial forces and was “responsible for the launching of explosive-laden unmanned aircraft at northern Israel and flying surveillance drones to collect intelligence.”
The Iranian-backed Islamic terrorist group launched multiple suicide drones in an attack on an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) base in northern Israel on Tuesday morning in response to the IDF neutralizing top Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists in recent days.
“Hezbollah acknowledges the deaths of four members so far today, including drone commander Ali Hussein Burji,” said Joe Truzman, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). “It’s becoming clear in the last days that Israel has an intelligence advantage over Hezbollah as commanders are being eliminated in strikes. This is not an ideal situation for [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah.”
Hezbollah acknowledges the deaths of four members so far today, including drone commander Ali Hussein Burji. It's becoming clear in the last days that Israel has an intelligence advantage over Hezbollah as commanders are being eliminated in strikes. This is not an ideal situation… pic.twitter.com/lktbnSqjJ0
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) January 9, 2024
The strike to kill Barji took place in the town of Khirbet Selm near a funeral procession for another top Hezbollah commander, Wissam al-Tawil, whom Israel terminated in an airstrike on Monday.
It appears a vehicle was targeted in the southern Lebanon village of Kherbet Selm. The strike took place near the funeral procession of Hezbollah commander Wissam Taweel. pic.twitter.com/dv0CRRtLMD
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) January 9, 2024
Al-Tawil, the top commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, was killed when a missile blew up an SUV he was riding in. The Radwan force exists with the goal of being able to infiltrate and overrun Israel’s northern border.
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Video of the aftermath showed the vehicle was destroyed by the airstrike, which occurred just a few miles away from the Israeli border. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had conducted “a series of strikes” in the area against Hezbollah targets but did not comment specifically on the strike that hit Tawil.
The New York Times noted that Tawil’s death was a significant blow to Hezbollah as Al Manar, a Hezbollah-owned Lebanese broadcaster, and media controlled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) showed images of Tawil alongside Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian general and terrorist mastermind Qasem Soleimani.
“Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into a totally unnecessary war,” said Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesman. “We are now at a fork in the road. Either Hezbollah backs off, hopefully as part of a diplomatic solution, or we will push it away.”