Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli drone strike in S. Lebanon

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM -- A Hezbollah commander was killed on Saturday in an Israeli drone strike in the town of Deir al-Zahrani, deep in southern Lebanon, according to official and security sources.

The official Lebanese National News Agency reported that an Israeli drone carried out an aerial attack at dawn, killing Mohammad Ali Jammoul.

Jammoul, 33, was on his "usual early-morning drive from his home to perform dawn prayers at the mosque in his hometown," when the drone attacked his vehicle, "killing him instantly," said the report.

The report noted that the strike was preceded by the appearance of Israeli helicopters flying over the area for the first time at that depth.

A Lebanese Civil Defense source told Xinhua that their personnel extinguished the fire that broke out in the targeted vehicle and transported the body to a hospital in the city of Sidon.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also confirmed the strike in a statement, claiming that Jamoul advanced projectile attacks toward Israeli civilians and IDF troops, and was recently involved in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah's infrastructure in the area.

Hezbollah later issued a statement mourning Jammoul, saying he "rose as a martyr on the path to Jerusalem."

Meanwhile, the Lebanese military stated that it continued "survey operations" and the removal of "Israeli violations" in southern Lebanon.

"During these operations, a specialized military unit discovered and dismantled a concealed Israeli surveillance device equipped with a camera in the Bir Choueib area near the village of Blida - Marjayoun, in southeastern Lebanon," it said in a statement, adding that the army also removed 13 "earthen berms" erected by the Israeli military.

These developments come amid an ongoing ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by the United States and France since Nov 27, 2024, which ended over a year of hostilities sparked by the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Despite the agreement, the Israeli military continues to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, which it claims are aimed at neutralizing Hezbollah "threats."