Three security sources confirmed that an Israeli airstrike on the village of Jouaya in southern Lebanon late Tuesday resulted in the deaths of at least four people, including a senior field commander of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The sources identified the man as the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in the central region of the southern border strip, an area that has been heavily impacted by exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah over the past eight months.
Hezbollah confirmed the death of the commander, Taleb Sami Abdullah, known as “Abu Taleb,” in the Israeli strike. The group mourned Abu Taleb in a statement on Telegram, noting that he was 55 years old and hailed from the town of Adchit in southern Lebanon.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, emphasized the significance of Abu Taleb’s role, comparing it to that of Wissam Al-Tawil, a senior Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli strike in January.
Approximately 300 Hezbollah fighters, including key leaders and members with significant responsibilities, have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since October, following the outbreak of the Gaza war.
