Report: Top Hezbollah operative in Syria killed
Lebanese media say Ali Hussein Nassif, head of Shiite militia's operations in Syria, was killed in clashes near Homs
Lebanese media reported Tuesday that Ali Hussein Nassif, Hezbollah's commander in Syria, was killed in a military operation.
No details were given as to the nature of the operation. He was reportedly killed on Sunday, along with several other Hezbollah operatives.
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A Hezbollah statement to the local media said only that Nassif was killed during "operational activity."
Nassif was in charge of all Hezbollah operations in Syria, and served as the liaison between the Shiite group and Bashar Assad's forces.
Nassif's funeral
According to the report, his funeral took place on Monday in Baalbek.
Opposition groups in Lebanon said that Nassif was killed in a clash near Homs, following an ambush by Syrian rebels.
According to the Free Syria Army, he was driving near the city when the rebels detonated a roadside bomb.
The Syrian opposition said that Nassif was transferred to Syria following the escalating uprising in the country, and was tasked with quashing civilian uprisings.
He was also responsible for tracking down individuals wanted by Hezbollah.
Also on Tuesday, The Lebanese newspaper A-Diyar reported that Syrian rebels hijacked a bus of pilgrims after learning Hezbollah Chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah's was on board, under a fake identity.
The report has not been corroborated by any official source in Syria or Lebanon.
According to A-Diyar, the rebels sought to abduct the son in order to demand that Nasrallah apologizes for his statements against the Syrian opposition, but found that the Hezbollah chief's son was not on board.
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