Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.
Israeli media: 32% of Americans still support "Israel's" war on Hamas, while 60% oppose it.
Israeli media: Core US support for "Israel" hits its lowest, while support for Palestine reaches its highest levels.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports martyrs, injuries in Israeli bombardment of home in Heker al-Jame area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Al-Quds Governorate: Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque began in a public and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 175, including 93 children

Who was Hezbollah's Ibrahim Aqil, commander of the Radwan Force?

  • By Mohammad Al-Jaber
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 21 Sep 2024 00:56
  • 8 Shares
6 Min Read

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of Commander Aqil comes after a blessed life full of jihad, work, wounds, sacrifices, risks, challenges, achievements, and victories.

Listen
  • x
  • Martyred Commander Ibrahim Aqil (Military Media)
    Martyred Commander Ibrahim Aqil (Military Media)

The Israeli occupation forces on Friday bombarded the Southern Suburb of Beirut targeting a residential building,  crossing yet another red line that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon had drawn and inflicting more terror on Lebanese civilians.

The strike was launched via fighter jet due to the size of the heavy bombs deployed. The target was a residential building in a residential area that houses a large number of schools, and Al Mayadeen reported that the aggression was comprised of four missiles hitting the building.

The strike constitutes the third violation of the stipulations put in place by Hezbollah, as they had underlined that Beirut was completely off-limits for the Israeli occupation with the war of attrition being concentrated in Southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.

The deterrence equation would not be violated for just any target, and the Israeli occupation had shown before that it would only strike Beirut's Southern Suburb if the target was worthy of the escalation that would follow suit.

"Israel" struck Beirut only twice before Friday, the first being to assassinate the Deputy Chief of Hamas' Political Bureau, Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, and the second being to assassinate Hezbollah top commander Hajj Fouad Shokor.

Who is Ibrahim Aqil

Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Hajj Abdul-Qader, is a senior Hezbollah official who has been operating with the Resistance since its inception in the 1980s, but very little information is known about him, as his life has been shrouded in secrecy due to the nature of his post. Hezbollah released a posthumous biography, detailing the many responsibilities the martyr took up during his lifetime.

Martyr Aqil, known by his aliases of Hajj Abdul-Qader and Hajj Tahsin, was born in 1962 in the town of Bednayel in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate in eastern Lebanon.

He was one of the founders of Hezbollah's military wing in Beirut, later leading the heroic battles and operations against the Israeli occupation and invasion of Lebanon in the 1980s. 

The martyred leader assumed a handful of roles within the Islamic Resistance, such as responsibility for central training in the early 1990s and a fundamental role in developing its manpower capabilities. 

Related News

Cholera devastates Darfur region amid conflict, US aid cuts

US uses tariffs to strongarm India on Russia ties

Martyr Aqil took on a leading role in the General Staff in the mid-nineties. In 1997, the commander was firsthand responsible for Jabal Amel Operations, carrying out a number of important of operations during this time, a responsibility he continued to hold until after the liberation and Lebanon's victory. 

Assassination attempts

There is only one attempt on Aqil's life that is known to the public, which was ahead of the occupation's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, wherein an attack helicopter fired a missile toward his location, which he survived. It is not known whether he sustained any injuries at the time.

'Terrorist' designation

Nothing was said about or heard of Aqil for the following 15 years until the US Department of the Treasury designated him as a "terrorist" pursuant to Executive Order 13582 for being a Hezbollah member, and then in 2019 as a "specially designated global terrorist". 

Operations Command and Radwan Force

Martyr Aqil founded the Operations Command of the Islamic Resistance, and from 2008 onward, he served as the assistant to the Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, for operations affairs and was additionally appointed as a member of the Jihad Council.

In 2006, he emerged as one of the brave heroes and leaders who confronted the Israeli aggression on Lebanon. He then oversaw the establishment, development, and leadership of the Radwan Force in the Islamic Resistance until his martyrdom. 

His work was not solely limited to confronting Israeli aggression or developing the Resistance's capabilities in Lebanon. He was among the senior commanders who planned and directed operations against the Takfiri groups along Lebanon's eastern borders, in Qusayr and Qalamoun, and other Syrian areas.

When the Palestinian Resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in October, Martyr Ibrahim Aqil planned and oversaw the leadership of the Radwan Force's military operations, providing Gaza and Palestine with support from the Lebanese South. 

Radwan Force

Aqil's name made its rounds in news reports back in December in light of escalating tensions between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation, as Israeli media said he was identified as the head of the Radwan Force, which has been a heavy-hitter against the Israeli occupation forces during the ongoing confrontations on the northern front. 

The Radwan Force is Hezbollah's elite unit, serving as one of the most efficient military units in the region. It is named after martyr Imad Mughniyeh, whose alias was Hajj Radwan. It is a commando force whose main goal is to penetrate deep into enemy territory.

Today, the force, under which various divisions operate, including armored, anti-armor, and fire-support divisions, stands as the culmination of martyr Moghniyeh and martyr Aqil's struggle in the face of the colonialist and imperialist ambitions in the region. Its name reverberates throughout the Israeli occupation and it is feared even by its upper echelons due to its vast and sophisticated capabilities. 

Israeli senior officers have repeatedly underlined that the force is capable of launching coordinated attacks, including the infiltration of Israeli settlements or military positions, underlining that even in the midst of the war, it is undergoing extensive training to launch a ground offensive against the Israeli occupation. 

While the assassination of Ibrahim Aqil is definitely a blow to Hezbollah, the Resistance movement said its steadfastness will not waver, and its operations will continue as normal. While leaders and commanders are of high importance to the movement, its continuation is not in any way dependent on any individual, as the structure ensures the preservation of the movement and its military operations regardless of the loss of any senior officials, with the goal of liberation at the forefront.

  • United States
  • Imad Mughniyeh
  • Beirut
  • Israel
  • Southern Suburb of Beirut
  • Hezbollah
  • Israeli occupation
  • Lebanon
  • Ibrahim Aqil
  • Islamic resistance in Lebanon
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS