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An Israeli airstrike early Saturday in Beirut targeted Muhammad Haydar, Hezbollah’s chief of operations, Sky News Arabia reported, citing Israeli officials.
Haydar, a former member of parliament and a close advisor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was described as the strategic mastermind behind the terrorist group’s recent war efforts against Israel, sources told Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hadath channel.
Haydar, considered the terror group’s top military figure following a series of assassinations of senior Hezbollah commanders, has reportedly been leading the organization in recent months.
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The strike, which used at least five bunker-busting bombs, destroyed an eight-story building in Hezbollah’s stronghold of Dahieh, creating a large crater, Lebanese reports said. At least 11 people were killed, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue teams worked to recover survivors from the rubble, according to Lebanese health officials.
The attack came without warning in the pre-dawn hours, a departure from the IDF's prior practice of alerting residents.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired five rockets toward Haifa and its surrounding areas. Later in the day, the Israeli military issued warnings for Dahieh residents to evacuate ahead of further potential strikes.