Senior Hezbollah Commander Behind Deadly 2007 Attack on U.S. Troops Eliminated in Israeli Strike

IDF Confirms Elimination of Veteran Hezbollah Operative

The Israel Defense Forces announced that Ali Mussa Daqduq, a senior Hezbollah commander and longtime terrorist operative, was eliminated in an Israeli strike south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon on Friday.

Daqduq was one of Hezbollah’s most senior and experienced figures, holding multiple leadership positions throughout his decades-long involvement with the Iran-backed terror organization. According to the IDF, he played a key role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against Israel and Israeli soldiers.

Architect of Attacks Against Israel and the United States

Daqduq was widely known for orchestrating the January 2007 attack in Karbala, Iraq, in which Hezbollah operatives kidnapped and murdered five American soldiers. Following the attack, U.S. forces captured him and later transferred him to Iraqi custody before the American withdrawal from Iraq in 2011.

Despite assurances that he would face prosecution, Iraqi authorities eventually acquitted and released him in 2012, a decision that sparked outrage in Washington.

Held Multiple Senior Hezbollah Positions

According to the IDF, Daqduq served in several of Hezbollah’s most important operational and security roles over the years. His positions reportedly included:

• Head of security for former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

• Commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force

• Commander within Hezbollah’s Nasr Unit operations structure

• Head of Hezbollah infantry forces

• Commander of the group's "Golan File" responsible for building terrorist infrastructure in southern Syria

The IDF stated that Daqduq was considered a major source of operational knowledge within Hezbollah and led significant planning efforts against Israeli forces along the northern border.

Part of Hezbollah’s Ongoing Campaign Against Israel

Daqduq remained deeply involved in Hezbollah’s military activities during the conflict that began after Hamas launched its October 7, 2023 massacre and invasion of southern Israel. Hezbollah joined the fighting the following day by opening a northern front against Israel.

His son, Hassan Ali Daqduq, was also killed in an Israeli strike in southern Syria in December 2023.

The elimination of Ali Mussa Daqduq removes one of Hezbollah’s most experienced commanders and a longtime architect of terrorist operations directed against both Israel and the United States.