Syrian Rebels Claim Credit for Killing Hezbollah Commander

FSA Used 'Explosive Device' to Kill Commander in Homs

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.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.