The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it killed two Hezbollah operatives in separate strikes within an hour in southern Lebanon, as violence escalated on the northern frontier.

Israel recently threatened to expand its attacks against the Iran-backed terror group, claiming the Lebanese government was not keeping its commitment to disarm it.

The first strike, in the Nabatieh area, killed Muhammad Ali Hadid, who the IDF said was a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.

“The terrorist advanced numerous terror attacks against the State of Israel, and, recently, he continued attempts to reestablish Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites,” the IDF said.

The second strike, in Ayta ash-Shab, killed an unnamed operative who was carrying out surveillance on Israeli troops, the military said.

Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed two people were killed in Israeli strikes, and said that seven others were injured.

תוך פחות משעה: צה״ל חיסל שני מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון

צה״ל תקף וחיסל מוקדם יותר היום, בהובלת פיקוד הצפון ובאמצעות חיל האוויר, את המחבל מוחמד עלי חדיד – מפקד ביחידת ׳כוח רדואן’ של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב נבטייה שבדרום לבנון.

המחבל קידם........

© The Times of Israel