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Hizbollah leader killed in Syria

DUBAI: A top commander of the Lebanese Hizbollah Imad Mughniyeh has been killed in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Hizbollah has blamed Israel for the late night assassination on Tuesday. A Hizbollah official was quoted as saying Mr. Mughniyeh died in an explosion which destroyed a vehicle in the upscale Kafar Soussa neighbourhood of Damascus.

Syrian security authorities were seen removing the destroyed Mitsubishi Pajero vehicle, whose front and rear seats had been blown up.

On Wednesday, a statement posted on the Hizbollah run Al Manar television website said: “With pride and honour, we announce the martyrdom of a great resistance leader who joined the procession of Islamic Resistance martyrs.

After a life full of Jihad, sacrifices and accomplishments lived with a longing to martyrdom, Islamic Resistance leader Hajj Imad Mughniyeh (Hajj Radwan) was assassinated by Israeli criminal hands.”

The slain commander was on the top of U.S. and Israeli wanted lists. He was blamed for the 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut, in which 63 persons including 17 Americans were killed. In October the same year, he was accused of masterminding a suicide bombing in which 241 U.S. Marines were killed. The incident led to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Lebanon. The U.S. had also indicted him for the hijacking in 1985 of the TWA Flight 847.

Mr. Mughniyeh is the first major Hizbollah leader to be assassinated following the 1992 helicopter strike which killed party secretary-general Sheikh Abbas Moussawi in southern Lebanon.

Hizbollah announced that a funeral procession for the assassinated commander would be held on Thursday — the same day when the former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, was killed three years ago. “Let us make our voice heard by all the enemies and murderers that we will be victorious no matter how many sacrifices we have to make,” Hizbollah said.

In Syria, the National Organisation of Human Rights said Mr. Mughniyeh’s killing followed “repeated threats by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to have Hizbollah and Hamas leaders killed wherever they are.” The Palestinian Hamas also condemned the assassination.

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