Israeli army claims killed Hezbollah battalion commander in S. Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed Thursday that it had killed Hussein Muhammad Awada, a Hezbollah battalion commander in southern Lebanon.
Awada, who oversaw projectile attacks from villages near the Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil into Israeli territory, was killed by Israeli air and artillery forces, the IDF said in a statement, without specifying the time or location of the attack.
Hezbollah has yet to comment on the claim.
According to the IDF, since Wednesday morning, the Israeli army has killed more than 45 Hezbollah fighters and destroyed over 150 targets belonging to the military group, including a weapons storage facility, launchers, and military infrastructure.
Since Sept. 23, the Israeli army has been conducting intensive airstrikes on Lebanon, marking a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah. ■