Hezbollah Commander Ali Musa Daqduq Killed in Beirut's Dahiya

A targeted strike in the heart of Beirut’s Dahiya district has dealt Hezbollah a major blow, killing Ali Musa Daqduq, a veteran operative long seen as one of the group’s most important figures. Daqduq was widely associated with some of Hezbollah’s most complex operations and was described as a key figure in the pro-Iranian axis in the Middle East.

His career began in the 1990s, when he was closest to Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and served as his personal security chief, a role that reflected the high level of trust he enjoyed inside the organization. In recent years, his name became especially linked to what is known as the “Golan file.” In that role, he was the main architect of Hezbollah’s efforts to entrench itself in southern Syria and build a terror infrastructure opposite Israel’s border in the Golan Heights.

The article also says Daqduq was involved in planning and carrying out deadly attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq, including the 2007 Karbala attack in which five American soldiers were killed. He was sent years ago by Iran’s Quds Force to Iraq, where he served as an adviser and trainer for Shiite militias.

Daqduq was previously arrested by U.S. forces in Iraq and placed on American terrorism blacklists, but he was later handed over to Iraqi authorities and released, a step that drew strong criticism in Washington. His killing is described as another serious hit to Hezbollah’s command chain, which has continued to absorb painful losses since the war began.