The Israeli military said Thursday it has killed a member of Iran’s elite Quds Force in an attack in southern Lebanon, accusing him of planning attacks against Israel from Lebanon and Syria.
The man was identified as Hussein Mahmoud Marshad al-Zawahri, whom Israel described as a key operative in Unit 840 of the Quds Force, the foreign operations branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to a military statement, al-Zawahri was killed in the Ansariyah area. No further information about the strike was given.
Israel has accused Iran of directing the attacks
The Israeli military said al-Zawahri worked under the IRGC and was involved in “terrorist activities” directed by Iran against Israel and its security forces.
There was no immediate comment from Iranian or Lebanese officials on the alleged killing. The attack comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran following a brief but intense 12-day war in June.
The conflict began when Israel launched attacks on Iranian military and nuclear sites as well as residential areas. Israel said the attacks were aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear research and ballistic missile programs. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel.
During the fighting, the United States joined Israel in briefly targeting Iranian nuclear facilities before a ceasefire was later declared.
Strike continues in Lebanon
Israel has continued almost daily attacks in Lebanon and has said it wants to prevent Iran-backed group Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities.
The US-backed ceasefire agreement in November 2024 ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The agreement called for the group’s gradual disarmament, beginning with areas south of the Litani River near the Israeli border.
Iran, which does not recognize Israel, has long accused the country of sabotage and assassinations targeting Iranian nuclear scientists.
Tehran also supports armed groups across the region, what it calls the “axis of resistance”, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Israel has fought major conflicts with both groups in recent years.
On Thursday, Israeli authorities announced the arrest of an Israeli citizen suspected of committing security crimes under the direction of Iranian intelligence services.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko