Ali Hussein Barji
Military career
Barji played a key role in the development of Hezbollah's suicide drone system. During the Syrian civil war, he was one of the highest-ranking Hezbollah officials engaged in combat in the Idlib region. Barji orchestrated numerous drone attacks on Israeli forces during the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present). Notably, he orchestrated a strike on an Israeli airbase in Mount Meron on 6 January 2024, and targeted Israel's Northern Command headquarters in Safed on 9 January 2024.
Death
On 9 January 2024, he was killed in an Israeli airstrike while attending the funeral of Wissam al-Tawil, another Hezbollah senior commander who had been killed the previous day. Israel stated that his killing was a response to the drone attack in Safed that had occurred earlier that day.
References
- ^ "After the killing of Wissam Al-Tawil: Ali Hussein Burji, commander of Hezbollah's drone unit, was killed in an air strike in southern Lebanon" (in Arabic). i24 News. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "IDF kills senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon". i24 News. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Beaumont, Peter (9 January 2024). "Hezbollah drone strike hits key Israeli military command centre". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel (9 January 2024). "Hezbollah drone chief behind attacks on north killed in alleged Israeli strike". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Vasilyeva, Nataliya (9 January 2024). "Israel assassinates Hezbollah drone chief in air strike on Lebanon". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
