Israeli military: Hezbollah official killed in South Lebanon's Tyre strike

The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it had carried out an airstrike in South Lebanon targeting Hussein Nazih Barji, described as a 'senior Hezbollah operative specializing in weapons production.'

The strike took place in the Tyre region and was part of ongoing Israeli operations to weaken Hezbollah's military capabilities. 

According to Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, Barji was a key figure within Hezbollah's research, development, and production directorate and played a central role in advancing the group's weapons manufacturing efforts.

Barji reportedly worked as an experienced engineer tasked with developing and maintaining infrastructure for producing precision-guided surface-to-surface missiles. 

The Israeli military said the attack was intended to disrupt Hezbollah's efforts to rebuild its military capacities following Israel's "Operation Northern Shield."

The Israeli statement accused Hezbollah's weapons production directorate of violating understandings between Lebanon and Israel, warning that such activities pose a direct threat to Israeli security.