A video purporting to show the aftermath of an explosion that allegedly killed Wissam Tawil, a Hezbollah Radwan special forces commander, was posted Monday to Twitter.
“By the looks of the vehicle that Radwan commander Wissam Tawil was in, it may have been hit by a roadside bomb. A certain country to Lebanon’s south has previously had success in planting charges camouflaged as rocks & eliminating members of Hezbollah,” tweeted Joe Truzman, a Middle East research analyst for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
By the looks of the vehicle that Radwan commander Wissam Tawil was in, it may have been hit by a roadside bomb. A certain country to Lebanon’s south has previously had success in planting charges camouflaged as rocks & eliminating members of Hezbollah. pic.twitter.com/dbknvNGfyd
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) January 8, 2024
The video provided by Truzman appears to show the remains of a blown up car with its windows shattered. (RELATED: Israeli Airstrike Reportedly Kills Senior Iranian General)
Truzman observed “Hezbollah mourns the death of Wissam Tawil” in a Tweet that included an image of the deceased commander.
Hezbollah mourns the death of Wissam Tawil. He was killed in a targeted operation by Israel earlier today and is a senior member of Hezbollah (Radwan). The strike is a notable accomplishment for the Israeli security services. pic.twitter.com/Ci9lHBbudb
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) January 8, 2024
The Radwan Force is estimated to be comprised of some 2,500 Hezbollah fighters who have likely received special training by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, according to Israeli media, L’Orient Today reported. Hezbollah is an internationally designated terrorist organization based in Lebanon, according to the National Counterterrorism Guide published by the Director of National Intelligence.
Hezbollah and media organizations have alleged Israelis bear responsibility for the death of the senior Hezbollah commander following the organization’s ongoing strikes against Israel since Oct. 8 in support of Hamas, the Jerusalem Post reported. Over 130 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes since Oct. 8, according to Reuters.
While CNN reported Tawil’s death was a result of a drone strike, according to an unidentified source in the Lebanese security forces, analysts like Truzman posited based on the video of the wrecked car that “a roadside bomb” could have taken him out.