The IDF confirmed Thursday it killed Ahmed Ali Balout, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, in an airstrike a day earlier in the Dahieh district of Beirut.
The military said Balout was killed in a precise strike in the Hezbollah stronghold, the first such attack there in weeks, while a ceasefire remained in place and amid reports of contacts between the United States and Iran over a potential arrangement that would see the cessation of hostilities across the Middle East, including in Lebanon.
The assassination of Hezbollah Radwan Force Commander Ahmed Ali Balout
(Video: IDF)
According to the IDF, Balout held several positions over the years in the Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s elite commando unit, including serving as the unit’s operations commander.
The military said Balout was responsible for the unit’s readiness and preparations for attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.
“Throughout the war, and especially in recent months, Ali Balout directed Radwan Force terrorists and commanded dozens of terror attacks against IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon, including anti-tank missile attacks and the detonation of explosive devices,” the military said.
The IDF said Balout also led efforts to restore the Radwan Force’s capabilities, including advancing its long-standing “Conquer the Galilee” plan, which Israel says was designed to enable Hezbollah fighters to infiltrate northern Israel.
“The Radwan Force operates under the sponsorship and direction of the Iranian terror regime with the aim of harming IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians,” the IDF said. “The IDF will continue to operate against threats posed to Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and against attempts by Hezbollah’s Radwan Force to rehabilitate and rebuild its military capabilities.”
An Israeli official said Wednesday night that Balout and several other terrorists were believed to have been killed in the strike. A source close to Hezbollah also told AFP that “a Hezbollah commander was killed in the strike.”
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Aftermath of Israeli strike on Beirut building where Hezbollah Radwan Force commander Ahmed Ali Balout was hiding
(Photo: Hussein Malla)
Alongside its confirmation of Balout’s death, the IDF said it has killed more than 220 Hezbollah terrorists and commanders since the ceasefire began, all of whom it said posed a threat to Israeli forces or civilians. The military said more than 85 of them were killed in the past week alone.
The IDF said those killed in recent strikes included Mohammed Ali Bazzi, who had headed the intelligence department of Hezbollah’s Nasser Unit in recent years, and Hussein Hassan Roumani, who was responsible for Hezbollah air defenses.
The military said that since the beginning of the week, it had struck more than 180 Hezbollah military sites across southern Lebanon, including command centers, weapons depots and loaded launchers that were ready to fire.