IDF says commander, top members of Iranian militia in Lebanon were killed last night

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

The commander of the Imam Hossein Division, an Iranian militia that operates alongside Hezbollah, was killed along with his deputy and other commanders in an airstrike in Lebanon last night, the military says.

The Imam Hossein Division commander is named by the IDF as Ali Musallam Tabaja. The military says he was appointed to the role after the previous commander was killed by Israel in October 2024.

“This is an Iranian division of the Revolutionary Guards whose role is to attack Israel from Lebanese territory. For years, we have been trying to locate and eliminate them. Last night, while they were managing the fire toward Israel, they were eliminated within seconds,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says in a video statement.

According to the IDF, also killed in the strike last night were Jihad al-Safira, the deputy division commander; Sager al-Handasa, the division’s UAV officer; and a number of other top commanders.

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