Israeli strike on Beirut kills Hezbollah commander, security sources say

People gather at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, September 20, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Bilal Hussein

An Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday killed a Hezbollah commander who was a leading figure in its rocket division, two security sources in Lebanon said, as fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East mounted.

The sources identified the commander who was killed as Ibrahim Qubaisi. The attack, in which six people were killed, dealt another blow to the Iran-backed group which has faced a series of setbacks at the hands of Israel over the past week.