Five Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, including a senior commander, have reportedly been killed in an Israeli airstrike near the occupied Golan Heights. The organization has promised retaliation, saying that Israel has crossed all lines with this attack.
Mohamad Issa – chief of Hezbollah operations in Syria – was among those killed in the convoy attack, along with Jihad Moughniyah – son of the late Hezbollah leader Imad Moughniyah – according to Al Arabiya. The attack occurred in Quneitra, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Neither Israeli authorities nor the IDF have officially commented on the operation. However, a security source confirmed to Reuters on condition of anonymity that it was “an Israeli helicopter that carried out the attack.” The helicopter fired rockets at the convoy, while two Israel reconnaissance planes were also reportedly seen flying over the area.
Another source told Israel's Ynet news that the strike targeted "terrorists who intended to attack Israel" close to the ceasefire line that separates the Syrian part of Golan Heights from the Israeli-occupied sector. No further details were provided.
#Israeli experts saying #Hizbullah will respond to attack. Not clear how or when. But #Israel is boosting its presence in northern Israel
— Paula Slier (@PaulaSlier_RT) January 18, 2015
According to a statement on Lebanon’s Al-Manar news channel, the attack suggests that Israel “has gone crazy because of Hezbollah’s growing capabilities and it could lead to a costly adventure that will put the Middle East at stake."
READ MORE: Hezbollah reserves right to retaliate against Israeli attacks on Syria
The attack follows Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s statement that frequent Israeli strikes in Syria are a major aggression against the whole ‘axis of resistance,' not just Damascus, and that the group has the right to retaliate.
Large funerals and mass protests expected to be staged tomorrow in #Lebanon
— Paula Slier (@PaulaSlier_RT) January 18, 2015