Israel claims Hassan Nasrallah killed in Beirut airstrike

ISTANBUL (AA) – An Israeli army spokesperson on Saturday claimed that Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, was killed in a major airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb.

Nasrallah was reportedly killed in “intense and unprecedented” airstrikes Friday evening by Israeli F-35 jets on a target in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, the main stronghold of Hezbollah in southern Beirut.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the attack targeted Hezbollah’s main headquarters, which he claimed was built underneath civilian buildings.

In a statement on X, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said Nasrallah was “liquidated” during an operation targeting the central command of Hezbollah located beneath a residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Adraee said the airstrike was conducted with “precise intelligence from the military’s intelligence agency,” targeting a location where Hezbollah’s leadership was reportedly coordinating attacks against Israel.

He added that the operation also resulted in the deaths of Ali Karki, the leader of Hezbollah’s southern front, and several other Hezbollah commanders.

Hezbollah is yet to comment on the claims.

Israel in the past made several attempts to assassinate him, but failed everytime.

The Hezbollah chief was listed as an international terrorist in 1995 by the US State Department, which offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his capture or location.