An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Sunday killed three Hezbollah operatives in the coastal city of Sidon, including one individual who was also serving as an intelligence officer in the Lebanese Army, the Israel Defense Forces said.
According to the IDF, the operatives were targeted in a drone strike on a vehicle near Sidon due to their involvement in advancing attacks against Israeli forces and efforts to rebuild Hezbollah terror infrastructure in the area. The military said the strike took place on Monday and was announced publicly on Tuesday.
One of those killed was identified as Ali Abdullah, whom the IDF said served simultaneously in Hezbollah and in the Lebanese Army’s intelligence unit. The military described his dual role as a serious breach of Lebanese commitments and further evidence of Hezbollah’s deep entrenchment within state institutions.
The IDF said another of the operatives was involved in Hezbollah’s air defense activities in the Sidon area. The third was also described as a member of a cell working to restore the group’s operational capabilities.
“The IDF emphasizes that it is acting against terrorists from the Hezbollah terror organization who are working to restore terror infrastructure, in serious violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military said in a statement.
Lebanese media reported that the strike was carried out by an Israeli drone roughly 10 kilometers south of Sidon.
