Assassination of Imad Mughniyeh
| Assassination of Imad Mughniyeh | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kafr Sousa, Damascus, Syria |
| Date | 12 February 2008 22:20[1] (UTC+2) |
| Target | Imad Mughniyeh |
Attack type | car bomb |
| Accused |  Israel |
On 12 February 2008, Imad Mughniyeh, a senior commander of Hezbollah, the political party and armed militia in Lebanon, was assassinated in a car bomb explosion in the Kafr Sousa neighborhood of Damascus.[2] Mughniyeh had a long history of fighting the Israel Defense Forces and was a top target for Tel Aviv. Mughniyeh actively participated in the 2006 Lebanon War.[3] Mughniyeh, who was on the FBI's most wanted terrorists list,[4] was killed instantly when the explosive device detonated in a Mitsubishi Pajero.
His son Jihad would become a member of the party and was killed in a raid on Mazraat al-Amal in Quneitra during the Syrian civil war. Imad Mughniyeh was initially involved in the Palestinian Fatah movement during the Lebanese civil war before Hezbollah was founded in 1982.[2] The assassination was characterized as a significant security lapse and a notable intelligence achievement for Israel, sparking suspicions of potential betrayal within the Damascus regime, particularly given that the incident occurred in a zone housing security headquarters.
Following the assassination, a joint Iranian-Syrian investigation committee was formed, coinciding with the visit of Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.[5] In 2010, WikiLeaks reported that Hezbollah believed Syria was involved in Mughniyeh's assassination.[6]
Hezbollah appointed a successor to Imad Mughniyeh, whose identity was not revealed.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "الليلة المظلمة: كيف اغتال الموساد عمـاد مغنية؟" [The Dark Night: How did the Mossad assassinate Imad Mughniyeh?] (in Arabic). 19 February 2013.
- ^ a b Black, Ian (14 February 2008). "Car bomb ends life of Hizbullah chief wanted for string of kidnappings and mass murders". The Guardian.
- ^ "Hizbullah: Mughniyeh was key commander in 2006 Lebanon war". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 27 February 2008.
- ^ "Report: Reputed terrorist long sought by CIA killed in explosion - CNN.com". www.cnn.com.
- ^ "تحقيقات إيرانية ـ سورية في اغتيال مغنية". www.albayan.ae. 15 February 2008.
- ^ Black, Ian; editor, Middle East (7 December 2010). "WikiLeaks cables: Syria stunned by Hezbollah assassination" – via The Guardian.
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