Aftermath of IDF airstrike on Beirut's Dahieh district
( Reuters)
The IDF struck an apartment in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahieh in Beirut on Friday afternoon, reportedly targeting Ibrahim Aqil, the group's head of operations.
Lebanese sources said the attack killed eight people and wounded 59 others. A Hezbollah-affiliated source told AFP that Aqil was among the dead. Israeli officials also believe Aqil was killed, but no official confirmation has been provided. The IDF described the strike as “targeted.”
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Aftermath of Dahieh attack; Hezbollah's operations commander Ibrahim Aquil targeted in the strike
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that an F-35 fighter jet fired two missiles at the Dahieh apartment. Initially, there were reports of one person killed and 14 injured, but the casualty count later rose significantly.
Hezbollah’s Al Manar network claimed that children were among the wounded. Ambulances were seen arriving at the scene and evacuating the injured.
Saudi outlet Al Hadath cited two security sources saying the strike hit near key Hezbollah facilities in Dahieh, while a reporter noted four consecutive explosions in the area.
A witness told The New York Times that the strike felt like an earthquake: “Our building shook,” he said.
Other residents described scenes of chaos. Murtada Samoui, a 30-year-old souvenir shop owner, said he arrived at the scene to find a building completely destroyed and an overturned car. He tried to help a woman searching for her child but was asked by rescue teams to leave. “The building was entirely ruined. I’m shaking,” he said.
Following the strike, the IDF said that there were no changes to Home Front Command guidelines in the north, adding that any updates would be provided as necessary. The attack came shortly after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the Northern Command for a briefing.
An Israeli official told Ynet that the war against Hezbollah has entered a new phase and that Israel was prepared to respond to any retaliation by the terrorist group. "All options are on the table," the official said.
Aqil, a senior member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, has been linked to numerous global terror attacks and military operations in Syria.
In 2015, the U.S. designated him a terrorist, associating him with several attacks, including the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people, and the Marine barracks bombing later that year that left 241 U.S. service members dead. The White House last year offered a $7 million reward for information leading to Aqil, whom they accused of orchestrating the 1983 embassy attack.
He has also been linked to the abduction of American and German hostages in Lebanon and was considered a potential successor to Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr, who was assassinated in Dahieh in July. Aqil had survived multiple assassination attempts, including one in February 2000, when Apache helicopters fired missiles at his car, leaving him lightly wounded.
The airstrike came after Hezbollah launched about 140 rockets into northern Israel within an hour, targeting the Upper and Western Galilee, Hula Valley and the Golan Heights. The IDF reported that approximately 120 rockets were fired at Safed and the Golan, followed by another 20 aimed at the Meron and Western Galilee areas. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the barrage, and Israel responded with heavy artillery fire.
Residents of several communities in the Upper Galilee were still under orders to remain near shelters and avoid unnecessary movement. Amid the heightened security situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to cut short his upcoming trip to the United States, where he was scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly. His office is considering further shortening the trip, allowing Netanyahu to return to Israel immediately after his Friday morning speech in New York.
First published: 16:14, 09.20.24