Hezbollah Belatedly Confirms Death Of Top Drone Commander In Beirut Strike

A Thursday Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs killed another Hezbollah top commander. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the ‘targeted’ attack on an apartment killed Mohammad Srour, also known as Abu Saleh.

“Fighter jets attacked Beirut and killed Mohammad Hussein Srour,” the IDF had posted on X. On Friday Hezbollah itself confirmed Srour’s death, who was head of the group’s drone and cruise missile command.

Lebanon’s National News Agency had described that “three missiles” had targeted “a residential apartment in a ten-story building.”

Hezbollah in a statement posted to Telegram said the 51-year old commander had “led military operations for the Islamic resistance’s air force on the Lebanese support front.”

It was at least the fourth such major aerial attack on Beirut by Israel in a week. Several high-ranking Hezbollah commanders have been killed in these strikes, but so have civilian bystanders, given entire residential buildings have been blown up.

On Friday Lebanon’s health minister has said that as of the afternoon (local time), 25 people have been killed by Israeli strikes on the country .

“One attack killed nine members of a family, including four children, in the border town of Shebaa, according to its mayor,” Sky News additionally details.

In total, over 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since Monday, when hostilities greatly ramped up along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Since then, the Netanyahu government has strongly signaled that a ground invasion could be imminent. Extra reserve forces have also been called up and sent to northern Israel.

The IDF released footage of the airstrike that killed Hezbollah’s drone chief…

The commander of Hezbollah’s aerial forces Muhammad Hussein Sarour, was killed in the Israeli airstrike in Beirut, the IDF confirms. pic.twitter.com/cF8UTR5rId

— Alexander Constantin (@AlexCoh) September 26, 2024

Below are some of the latest developments via Al Jazeera:

Israel has dismissed global calls for a ceasefire with Hezbollah and continues a bombing campaign that has killed more than 700 people in Lebanon since Monday.
At least 25 people have been killed since dawn, according to the Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington will continue backing Israel as Tel Aviv secures a new $8.7bn US military assistance package, and dismissed “red lines” in Israel’s assaults on Gaza and Lebanon.
At least 41,534 people have been killed and 96,092 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza. In Israel, the number killed in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 is at least 1,139, while more than 200 people were taken captive.