Hezbollah's Radwan Force chooses its new lead commander - report

Ali Reda Abbas was appointed the new commander of Hezbollah's Radwan unit following the death of former commander Ibrahim Aqil in an Israeli airstrike in Dahieh, Beirut, as reported on Saturday by Al-Hadath, a Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese outlet.

Abbas, 60, was born in Barish, southern Lebanon, and survived an assassination attempt in the 1990s while closely working with Aqil, highlighting his long-standing involvement in Hezbollah. He has held various military roles and is recognized as a key operations officer within Hezbollah’s southern command, marking him as part of the organization’s third generation.

Abbas reportedly possesses a university degree and has received advanced military training in Iran, often appearing in the media with his face covered when discussing Hezbollah's military operations.

Abbas’ newly appointed assistant is Ali Mussa Daqduq, who was previously accused of kidnapping and murdering five American soldiers during a 2007 incident in Karbala, Iraq, but was acquitted by an Iraqi court in 2012, allowing him to return to Lebanon.

In 2019, he reportedly established a Hezbollah unit aimed at conducting operations against Israel from the Syrian Golan Heights and is believed to have created observation points to monitor Israeli activities.

Blow to Hezbollah's chain of command 

Israel's recent airstrike targeted a meeting of the Radwan unit leadership in an underground facility in Dahieh, resulting in the deaths of at least 37 individuals, including 16 key commanders.

Among the casualties were Ibrahim Aqil, former head of operations and commander of Hezbollah's Radwan Force, Abu Hassan Samir, head of the Radwan Force training unit, and Samer Abdul-Halim Halawi, Commander of the coastal area.

Following the attack, Hezbollah mourned Aqil and announced the deaths of 16 additional members, indicating a significant blow to their command structure. Aqil’s death marks the second senior military figure from Hezbollah assassinated by Israel in southern Beirut since October 2023.