Prominent Hezbollah field commander killed in Syria

Lebanon’s Hezbollah this morning announced the death of Mustafa Badr Al-Din, one of its field commanders in Syria and one of the defendants in the case of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that Badr Al-Din “participated in most of Hezbollah’s operations since 1982”, adding that he was killed on Tuesday night.

“The information obtained from preliminary investigations indicates that a large explosion that targeted our sites near the Damascus International Airport is what led to the death of our brother, Commander Mustafa Badr Al-Din and the wounding of others.”

The statement noted that investigations will be conducted to determine the nature and reasons behind the explosion, and whether it is a result of an air, missile, or mortar strike.

Media outlets had reported that Badr Al-Din had been assassinated by an Israeli attack on the Lebanese-Syrian border. Israel has not commented on the reports.