Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
The IDF said Friday it had killed Mohammed Mahdi Ali Shaheen, a Hezbollah operative, in a targeted strike in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley.
The operation took place on Thursday and was part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to curb arms smuggling into Lebanon.
live
Strikes on the Lebanon-Syria border
Shaheen was described as a key member of Hezbollah’s Geographical Unit, which oversees operations in the Beqaa Valley. According to the IDF, he played a critical role in facilitating weapons transfers from Syria into Lebanon.
“As part of his role, Shaheen was responsible for making purchase deals for Hezbollah and mediating the arrival of shipments for distribution to various units, contributing to the terror group’s military buildup,” the IDF said in a statement. The military added that his activities involved close collaboration with weapons dealers and smugglers along the border.
The IDF said Shaheen’s actions “posed a threat to the State of Israel and constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
The strike comes amid escalating tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. In recent weeks, the IDF has repeatedly warned Hezbollah against smuggling weapons from Syria and has launched multiple strikes in the area.
On Wednesday, the IDF said it killed another Hezbollah operative, Mahran Ali Nassereddine, in a targeted strike. Nassereddine was identified as a member of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, which the IDF described as responsible for smuggling weapons from Iran and its proxies into Lebanon.
“The unit was responsible for smuggling weapons into Lebanese territory from Iran and its proxies, aiming to maximize Hezbollah’s weapons stockpiles,” the IDF said, adding that since its establishment, Unit 4400 has set up multiple smuggling routes along the Syria-Lebanon border.
The IDF has vowed to continue operations against Hezbollah’s arms transfers, citing the threat they pose to Israel’s security.