Hezbollah confirmed the death of senior commander Ibrahim Aqil, describing him as a “great jihadist leader.” In a statement, Hezbollah said, “After a life filled with sacrifices, challenges, and victories, Aqil has joined his martyred brothers.”
In addition to Aqil, the bodies of seven other Hezbollah militants were also recovered from the area. Israel’s counterattack followed a missile strike by Hezbollah militants on northern Israel. Ibrahim Aqil was killed in an airstrike near Beirut. International media reports describe it as Israel’s most powerful attack on Lebanon since 2006.
Aqil was the head of the elite Radwan force, a militant organization backed by Iran. In July, Fuad Shukr, the operations chief of the Radwan force, was also killed in an Israeli attack. Aqil, born in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek, joined Hezbollah in 1980 and took part in various wars in Lebanon and Syria. Since 2008, he had been a member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, its highest military body, and was leading the elite Radwan force.
A former Hezbollah insider noted that being a member of the Jihad Council is a top-ranking position, and leading the Radwan force is a special distinction. The U.S. declared Aqil a notorious criminal in 2015 and announced a $7 million reward for information leading to his capture.
