hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil in an undated photo Latin Times

Israeli officials are reporting that an afternoon strike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut has killed top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil -- the terrorist organization's second-in-command.

Aqil, also known as Tahsin, served as leader of Hezbollah's military wing, the Jihad Council.

According to local news reports, a pair of Israeli fighter jets fired rockets into an apartment complex in Beirut's Dahiyeh neighborhood, causing much damage to the surrounding area, and several casualties.

The US State Department previously placed a $7 million bounty on his head for his role in the infamous 1983 bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, as well as the 1984 bombing of the US Embassy, which killed a combined 304 people including 241 service members.

He also led the kidnapping of many American and German hostages throughout the 1980s.

An anonymous source with ties to the Hezbollah appeared to confirm the reports to the media, saying "the Israeli air strike killed Radwan Force commander Ibrahim Aqil, its armed force's second-in-command after Fuad Shukr."

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading blows since a dramatic operation attributed to Israel saw the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of pagers and other communication devices belonging to Hezbollah. Thousands were reportedly injured in both Lebanon and Syria.

Hezbollah retaliated by firing dozens of rockets aimed at northern Israel.

Israel Terrorism