A whodunnit mystery with potential international ramifications is emerging today on the streets of Beirut, as senior Hezbollah commander Hassan al-Lakkis was assassinated by a gunman with a silenced pistol in front of his home.
Lakkis reportedly was one of the main commanders in the group’s rocket division, and drove the development of the militia’s drone program. This, along with his reported involvement in smuggling arms to the Gaza Strip, fueled immediate speculation that Israel was behind his killing.
Hezbollah sources said that Lakkis was believed to be on Israel’s “top 50 most wanted list” and had previously survived Israeli air strikes. Security officials said the attack bears the hallmarks of an Israeli hit.
But was it them? Not necessarily, as a Sunni militant faction called the Brigades of the Free Sunnis of Baalbak claimed credit for the assassination. The group is previously unknown, but its statement suggested ties with the Syrian rebellion, meaning this could also be spillover violence from that nation’s civil war, which Hezbollah is involved in.
whose to say that the group claiming responsibility are not funded or supported [with intell and/or other things ] by Israel? if this person was so important then presumably he was on their hit list…. just as with the assassination of iran scientists, where israelis cannot go they hire others to do their dirty work….
I have read a report that says certain israeli govt related persons have even claimed responsibility…..
the israelis have apparently been sending weapons to certain rebels in syria and they have bombed syrian targets…..so there is a further connection there….
Point well made, Chris. Israel's been after Hezbollah for decades. The IDF has failed to eliminate Hezbollah for at least since the early 1980's. All it has done in those decades is totally opposite of their goals; that is, made Hezbollah stronger instead of eliminating it.
Keep it up, Israel; you're doing a great job in creating more enemies.
The USA has made Al-Qaeda stronger, Israel has made Hezbollah stronger.