Syrian Rebels Claim Credit for Killing Hezbollah Commander

The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) has claimed credit for killing of a top Hezbollah commander earlier today in Syria, saying they killed him and two of his bodyguards in a bombing in Homs.

The commander, Ali Hussein Nassif, was reported killed earlier in the day by Hezbollah, who provided no details beyond saying he was killed while “performing his jihadist duty” somewhere in Syria.

Some Lebanese officials have accused Hezbollah of sending large numbers of fighters to support the Assad regime against the rebels. Though Hezbollah is backing the regime, it isn’t clear whether it involves fighters or just commanders providing advice to the military about fighting in urban settings.

The Syrian government has not commented on the matter yet, either to confirm Nassif’s death or to provide any indication what he was doing in Homs, a city the rebels have been contesting for months.