The military has confirmed a announcement that Ibrahim Akil, one of the Islamist group’s commanders, was among those killed in an .
He is the second leading Hezbollah figure to be confirmed killed in Friday’s attack.
The strike on the crowded district came during rush hour, as people headed home from work and children left school. Media showed footage of at least two buildings completely flattened.
“We will continue pursuing our enemies in order to defend our citizens, even in Dahiya, in Beirut,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Akil is believed to have served on Hezbollah’s highest military body, the Jihad Council.
The United States had sanctioned him for his alleged involvement in the 1983 bombing that killed more than 300 people at the US Embassy in Beirut and the US Marine Corps barracks.
The US State Department last year posted a $7-million reward seeking information leading to his identification, location, arrest or conviction.
It cited his alleged role in the embassy bombing and the taking of US and German hostages in Lebanon in the 1980s.
Iran-backed Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group. It also operates as a major political party within Lebanon.
rc/ab (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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