Hezbollah searching for the body of commander targeted in Israeli strike in Beirut

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said Wednesday they were still searching for the body of a top commander targeted in an Israeli strike in Beirut. The Iran-backed group's first comment after the strike targeting Fouad Shukur came hours after his death Tuesday and followed an overnight strike in Tehran that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Hezbollah did not comment about the Hamas leader's death.

Israel claimed late Tuesday that they had killed Shukur, who they said was behind a rocket attack on Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 youths.

Hezbollah said civil defense workers were still searching for his body and others under the rubble of the building Israel struck.


Like most of Hezbollah's military officials, little is known about Shukur, who was also known as Sayed Mohsen. Washington blames him for planning and staging the truck bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American service members in 1983. U.S. Treasury Department had offered a $5 million reward for information about him.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said that at least two children and a woman were killed in the attack, while 74 others were wounded.