High-Ranking Hezbollah Assassin Salim Ayyash Reportedly Killed Near Syrian Stronghold
An Israeli airstrike reportedly killed Salim Jamil Ayyash, a high-ranking Hezbollah operative sentenced to life by a UN-backed tribunal for his role in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Ayyash, part of Hezbollah’s Unit 151, was also involved in other attacks on Lebanese politicians in 2004 and 2005. He was one of the U.S. State Department’s most-wanted, with a $10 million reward for his capture.
- The airstrike reportedly occurred near al-Qusayr, Syria, a known Hezbollah stronghold. This incident is part of a wave of intensified Israeli airstrikes on Iranian-backed forces in Syria, escalating after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel. In recent strikes, Israel has targeted senior Hezbollah leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel’s operations in southern Lebanon aim to neutralize threats from Hezbollah along its northern borders. Ongoing skirmishes have led to the deaths of 40 Israeli civilians and 61 Israeli soldiers, with additional attacks reported from Iraq and Syria. Lebanon’s health ministry reports over 3,000 deaths in the conflict but hasn’t clarified how many are civilians versus combatants. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) estimate that around 3,000 Hezbollah fighters and about 100 operatives from other militant groups have been killed.
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