Former Nasrallah Bodyguard Killed in Israeli Strike in Syria

An Israeli strike in Syria has resulted in the death of a former bodyguard of the Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

On Tuesday, an Israeli drone targeted a car near the Syria-Lebanon border, as reported by a war monitor and the pro-government Syrian radio station, Sham FM.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based pro-opposition war monitor, stated that the strike killed two Hezbollah members in the car, while a Syrian driver was critically injured. There has been no immediate response from Syrian authorities or the Israeli military.

Hezbollah later confirmed the deceased militant as Yasser Nemr Qranbash, although they did not specify the circumstances of his death, which is typical for non-leadership combatants.

Hezbollah supporters expressed their grief on social media, referring to Qranbash as the “shield of the Sayyed” due to his previous role as a bodyguard for Nasrallah.

In retaliation, Hezbollah announced the launch of multiple Katyusha rockets targeting an Israeli military base in the Golan Heights. Israeli police reported that a man and a woman were killed in the rocket attack. The MADA rescue service confirmed they were civilians.

An official from an Iran-backed group, speaking anonymously, revealed that Qranbash had been active in Syria in recent years, particularly involved in arms shipments for Hezbollah.

Israel has conducted numerous strikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria over the years, typically without acknowledgment. These attacks have intensified over the past five months amidst the Gaza conflict and ongoing skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border.

Hezbollah’s attacks have gradually increased in intensity, with the introduction of new weapons. The group has stated that its attacks will cease once a ceasefire is established in Gaza. In response, Israel has also struck deeper into Lebanon.

Charles Lister from the Washington-based Middle East Institute noted that the targeting of Qranbash is part of an Israeli strategy to weaken Hezbollah’s military capabilities ahead of any potential major escalation. “That it occurred in Syria serves as a potent reminder of Israel’s clear penetration of the ‘resistance axis’ there,” Lister told The Associated Press, referring to the network of Iran-backed groups in the region.

Additionally, Hezbollah released drone footage on Tuesday showing Israeli military bases and strategic areas in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned on X, formerly Twitter, that Hezbollah’s leader Nasrallah would be “considered the destroyer of Lebanon” if the group does not cease its threats and attacks and withdraw from southern Lebanon.