Hezbollah on Wednesday said one of its most senior commanders, Fuad Shukr, whom the IDF confirmed was eliminated in a strike in Beirut Tuesday night after the terror group's weekend rocket attack killed 12 children in Majdal Shams, was in the room targeted by the IDF attack. However, the terror group didn’t confirm he was killed in the strike.
"Yesterday, Israel attacked Beirut’s Dahieh district. It targeted a residential building in one of the neighborhoods resulting in the death of several civilians, injuries and significant destruction. The great Jihad leader, Fuad Shukr, was present in the building,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
“Since the incident, civil defense teams have been working diligently to clear the rubble. We’re still awaiting results regarding the fate of the leader and other civilians who were there," it added.
The Iran-backed terror group also addressed the assassination of Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, saying, "We mourn the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh, the great leader. He was one of the great resistance leaders of our time, standing bravely against the U.S. and Israel, ready for his martyrdom in service of the cause he believed in. His death will bolster the resistance and strengthen determination against Israel."
Before the IDF confirmed Shukr's assassination, conflicting reports about his fate were published. Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya reported that "the target wasn’t eliminated in the attack." Three security sources told Reuters that "his fate is unknown," while other security officials said a woman was killed and seven others were injured in the strike.
Shukr, described as " Hezbollah’s highest-ranking military commander and head of the organization's strategic array," was assassinated in an F-35 airstrike in Beirut’s Dahieh district. According to the IDF, he served as Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s right-hand man and advisor on war planning and management.
In 2017, the United States offered a reward of $5 million for the Shukr’s capture. An investigation published that year shed light on the activities of the man who worked for the terrorist organization for more than 30 years.
He was born in Baalbek in Lebanon, and is known as "Hajj Mohsin." The Americans claim that he played a central role in attacking the U.S. Marines in Beirut in 1983, in which 241 American soldiers were murdered.