Israeli drone kills Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon

Thick smoke billows following an Israeli rocket attack on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Dhaira. Marwan Naamani/dpa

A Hezbollah commander and his bodyguard were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli drone strike near the port city of Tyre, security and Hezbollah sources said.

The car was targeted in the area of al-Hosh, east of Tyre.

Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of the two people without providing further details.

Lebanese security sources said the commander who was killed was Mohammed Naameh Nasr, who goes by the name of Abu Nameh, and is the head of a Hezbollah brigade.

Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah have been fighting almost daily since the beginning of the Gaza war.

There are fears that the conflict could spread as Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw behind the Litani river, 30 kilometres from the border - as stipulated in UN resolution 1701.

The Iranian-backed militia only wants to stop its shelling once there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH