WATCH: IAF Beirut strikes decimate Hezbollah Aerial Unit's chain of command

Hezbollah's Aerial Unit, which was established under Iranian leadership, received drones, cruise missiles, and production components from Iran alongside training terrorists.

IAF strike eliminates Hezbollah aerial unit commander, Muhammad Hussein Sarour, in Beirut, Lebanon. September 26, 2024. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Prior to the ceasefire in Lebanon coming into effect, Hezbollah's Operations Officer Jafar Ali Samaha was eliminated in an IAF strike in Beirut, eliminating much of the chain of command in Hezbollah's Aerial Unit, the military said on Wednesday. 

Hezbollah's Aerial Unit, which was established under Iranian leadership, received drones, cruise missiles, and production components from Iran alongside training terrorists. The unit is responsible for numerous aerial attacks using drones to target Israel. 

Since the beginning of the war and the ground operation in Lebanon, the Israel Air Force (IAF) conducted several strikes to dismantle the Aerial Unit's infrastructure. The IAF struck numerous assets, including over 150 drone launch positions, 20 weapons storage facilities, and 30 command centers. As such, 70% of the unit's stockpile of drones and cruise missiles were destroyed. 

Overnight on Tuesday, the IAF conducted several precise strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the military confirmed on Wednesday. 

In these strikes, the IAF reportedly targeted Hezbollah command centers, launchers, weapons storage facilities, and other terrorist infrastructure.

The IDF noted that it struck sites in several localities, including Beirut, Tyre, and Nabatieh. 

Some targets included a military structure used by Hezbollah's coast-to-sea missile unit in Beirut. Many of the targets belonged to Hezbollah's "Aziz" and "Bader" Units, as well as the Radwan Forces

The IDF issued evacuation warnings on Tuesday for several buildings in Beirut suburbs, according to a statement from the IDF's Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on X/Twitter.


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"For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate these buildings and those adjacent to them immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters, he wrote."