Israeli military says it has killed Hezbollah chief Nasrallah By Reuters

By Ari Rabinovitch and Citi International Foreign Exchange PlatformMaya Gebeily

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) -Israel said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs a day earlier, in what would be a devastating blow to the group as it reels from an escalating campaign of Israeli attacks.

Reuters could not immediately reach Hezbollah officials for comment. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, its leader for 32 years.

If confirmed, Nasrallah's death would mark a major blow not only to Hezbollah but also its backers in Iran. He has long been a leading figure in the Tehran-backed "Axis of Resistance", helping to project Iranian influence across the Middle East.

The Israeli military said in a statement that Nasrallah was eliminated in a "targeted strike" on the group's underground headquarters under a residential building in Dahiyeh - a Hezbollah-controlled southern suburb of Beirut.

It said he was killed along with another top Hezbollah leader - Ali Karaki - and other commanders.

"The strike was conducted while Hezbollah’s senior chain of command were operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel," it said.

Friday's airstrike on Dahiyeh shook Beirut. A security source in Lebanon said the attack - a quick succession of massively powerful blasts - had left a crater at least 20 meters deep.

The attack, followed on Saturday by further airstrikes on Dahiyeh and other parts of Lebanon, have escalated the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The escalation has sharply increased fears the conflict could spin out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollah's principal backer, as well as the United States.

Late on Friday, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was not reachable.

In the first hours after Friday's strike, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was alive. Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported he was safe. A senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was checking his status.

Israel followed up on Friday's attack with a new wave of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon on Saturday.

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