Hezbollah media chief killed in Israeli strike in Beirut

Hezbollah's media main Mohammed Afif has been killed successful an Israeli onslaught successful cardinal Beirut, the Lebanese militant radical has confirmed.

A onslaught deed the office of the Baath governmental enactment successful the densely populated Ras al-Naba neighbourhood connected Sunday, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

The country's wellness ministry said 4 radical were killed, but did not sanction the victims.

Afif, 1 of the fewer remaining nationalist faces of the group, was past seen connected Monday, erstwhile helium gave a property league successful Beirut’s confederate suburbs, wherever the radical is based.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented connected the reports.

The BBC has contacted the IDF.

Hezbollah confirmed the decease connected Sunday evening, respective hours aft it was archetypal reported.

Most of the office of the Lebanese subdivision of the Syrian Baath enactment was destroyed successful the strike, arsenic rescue and civilian defence teams rushed to assistance a fig of radical trapped nether the rubble, the National News Agency reported.

The wellness ministry said 14 radical were injured arsenic good arsenic the 4 killed.

The Lebanese Baath Party is simply a subdivision of the Syrian Baath Party, headed by President Bashar Al-Assad, and a long-time Hezbollah ally.

Its Lebanese office are located by a engaged cardinal intersection connecting occidental and eastbound Beirut with the metropolis centre and the airdrome road, which passes done the confederate suburbs.

BBC Middle East analogous Lina Sinjab said the improvement raised interest that Israel was expanding attacks beyond Hezbollah subject officials. Hezbollah is besides a governmental enactment with representatives successful parliament and ministers successful government.

“That is truly sending alarm to people, that determination are nary signs of de-escalating this concern oregon uncovering a solution, but alternatively further escalation and widening Israeli targets against Hezbollah successful Lebanon," she told BBC's quality channel.

Later connected Sunday, different onslaught successful cardinal Beirut connected Mar Elias Street killed 2 radical and wounded 13 more, the Lebanese wellness ministry said.

The BBC has reached retired to the IDF astir the 2nd onslaught successful cardinal Beirut.

Earlier connected Sunday, the IDF said it had conducted strikes connected six Hezbollah subject targets successful the confederate suburbs.

In the past week, the Israeli subject has intensified its attacks connected Beirut, amid renewed efforts led by the US for a ceasefire successful the war.

Israel already killed Hezbollah's person Hassan Nasrallah and different apical commanders and elder officials successful Beirut strikes successful precocious September, erstwhile Israel launched an violative against the Iran-backed group.

Israel said it wanted to instrumentality tens of thousands of displaced residents to the country's northbound astir a twelvemonth aft Hezbollah stepped up rocket attacks successful enactment of Palestinians aft Hamas’s onslaught connected Israel connected 7 October 2023.

More than 3,400 radical person been killed successful Lebanon since then, including astatine slightest 2,600 since Israel launched a aggravated aerial run followed by a crushed penetration successful the southbound successful precocious September, according to the Lebanese wellness ministry.

Another 1.2 cardinal radical person been displaced.