Tel Aviv, September 27 :
A precision attack in Beirut was declared by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as having eliminated Muhammad Hussein Srour, Commander of Hezbollah's Aerial Command, dealing a heavy blow to the organization.
The Israeli Defense Forces shared a post on X and commented, "Eliminated: Commander of Hezbollah's Aerial Command, Muhammad Hussein Srour, in a precise IAF strike in Beirut."
The Israeli Defense Forces went on to say that Srour was the mastermind behind a slew of terrorist strikes that targeted Israeli citizens from the air. "Srour moved forward and ordered a slew of terrorist strikes against Israeli civilians from the air. "He carried out multiple terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers using UAVs and explosive devices during the "Iron Swords" war," the report added.
"In recent years, Srour led the manufacturing project of UAVs in southern Lebanon and established UAV manufacturing and intelligence gathering sites in Lebanon, located adjacent to civilian infrastructure in Beirut and southern Lebanon," according to the article.
Srour was reportedly also involved with the commander of the surface-to-air missile unit and the Radwan Force's "Aziz" Unit, according to the IDF. It claimed, "He was also the commander in the surface-to-air missile unit, commander in the "Aziz" Unit of the Radwan Force and Hezbollah's emissary to Yemen and the Houthi terrorist regime's Aerial Command."
U.S. officials have asked for a 21-day ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border in an effort to defuse the situation and give diplomacy a chance in the midst of rising tensions between the two countries and in the Gaza Strip.
During Thursday's AUKUS military ministerial conference in London, US Secretary of military Lloyd J. Austin III, British Secretary of Defence John Healey, and Australian Minister of Defence Richard Marles all expressed their support for this idea, according to a Pentagon press release.
It is really disturbing what is happening in northern Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah, a terrorist organization in Lebanon backed by Iran, launched an unprovoked rocket attack on Israel the day following Hamas's terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, according to Austin.
Ever since then, Hezbollah has persisted. Israel is within its rights to self-defense, just like any other nation. Tens of thousands of civilians, both Israeli and Lebanese, have not been able to return home safely in over a year, and there is a real possibility of a full-scale war breaking out, which could have catastrophic consequences for both countries, he warned.
Austin went on to say that a diplomatic resolution is still within reach, even though the situation has escalated dramatically in the past few days. "A diplomatic solution, not a military solution, is the only way to ensure that displaced civilians on both sides of the border can finally go back home," according to him.
A 21-day ceasefire will give the diplomats time to reach a lasting agreement that will enable Israeli and Lebanese people to go back to their homes safely, Austin said, calling for an immediate end to the fighting. A deal to end the fighting in Gaza and return all of the hostages might also be finalized and put into action during this time.
