Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike in southern Lebanon late Tuesday, stoking concerns about an escalation of the conflict on another Israeli front.
In response, Hezbollah fired one of its heaviest rocket barrages yet into Israel on Wednesday, targeting military bases and arms factories.
The commander, Taleb Abdallah, also known as Abu Taleb, was among the highest-ranking Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon to have been killed in the eight-month-long conflict, according to a senior Lebanese intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.
In an apparent nod to Mr. Abdallah’s seniority, Hezbollah made the rare move of releasing a photo of him alongside Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, a high-ranking commander in the group’s Radwan unit, who was killed in a strike in January.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had struck a Hezbollah command and control center, killing Mr. Abdallah and three other Hezbollah fighters. It called Mr. Abdallah one of Hezbollah’s top commanders in southern Lebanon.
Israeli army radio said on Wednesday that around 150 rockets had been launched into northern Israel in an apparent response, with Hezbollah claiming attacks on a string of military bases.
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