Beirut, Sep 28 (V7N) – Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has confirmed that its leader, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. According to a statement from the group, Nasrallah was targeted in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital in an attack by Israeli forces.

The airstrike occurred in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut, where Nasrallah was reportedly killed in a "targeted attack" on Hezbollah's underground command center beneath a residential building. In addition to Nasrallah, several senior leaders of the group, including the commander of Hezbollah's southern front, were also killed.

Hezbollah has vowed to continue its fight against Israel, pledging to defend Gaza, Palestine, Lebanon, and their people. The group’s statement comes after an earlier claim by Israeli military spokesperson Avichai Adraee on social media, asserting that Nasrallah had been "eliminated" in an airstrike on Friday.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the operation was part of a larger offensive targeting Hezbollah's leadership and military infrastructure. The attack on Friday was followed by further airstrikes on Saturday, escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah and heightening concerns of a wider regional conflict.

Nasrallah had been the head of Hezbollah since 1992, following the assassination of his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi by an Israeli helicopter strike. Under Nasrallah's leadership, Hezbollah grew into a major regional force, with significant influence across the Middle East, backed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. His death is seen as a significant blow to both Hezbollah and Iran's strategic interests in the region.

The renewed airstrikes and Nasrallah's killing have intensified the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, raising fears of a broader war in the region.

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