The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah said a car explosion on
Tuesday night in the Syrian capital Damascus had killed its senior
commander Imad Moughniyah, Hezbollah-related television reported on
Wednesday.
A TV grab from al-Manar
Hezbollah TV shows an undated portrait of slain leader Imad
Moughniyeh February 13, 2008.
In a statement released by the group, Hezbollah accused Israel
of assassinating Moughniyah, who was indicted in the US for the
1985 hijacking of a TWA airliner in which a Navy diver died.
"With all pride we declare ... the brother commander hajj Imad
Moughniyah became a martyr at the hands of the Israelis," the TV
quoted the statement as saying.
The statement did not disclose how Moughniyah was killed, but
local press said that a car explosion led to his death.
On Tuesday night, a silver Mitsubishi Pajero car exploded in the
neighborhood of an Iranian school in Kafer Suseh and damaged five
nearby cars and surrounding building.
Moughniyah, 45, known as Hajj Radwan, had been in hiding for
years. He was indicted in the US for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA
airliner in which a Navy diver died.
He was accused by Washington of the bombing of US embassy in
Lebanon in 1983, in which 63 Americans and Lebanese were killed,
the bombing of US marines barrack in Beirut, in which 241 died and
the bombing of French barracks which killed 58 soldiers.
Moughniyah is also believed by Israel to have been involved in
planning the 1992 bombing of Israel's embassy in Argentina in which
29 people were killed and the blast at a Buenos Aires Jewishcenter
two years later that killed 95.
Hezbollah has called on its supporters to join a funeral
procession for Moughniyah in Beirut's southern suburb on Thursday,
the same day the pro-government majority March 14 coalition is
planning to hold a rally to commemorate the third anniversary of
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination in Martyrs Square in
downtown Beirut.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2008)
