Hezbollah's main operative in Syria's Daraa province assassinated

A prominent figure in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was killed in southern Syria this week, according to reports.

Aref Al-Jahmani, the paramilitary group's main operative in Daraa province, was targeted by unknown gunmen while travelling in his car, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Sunday.

It follows several unsuccessful attempts to assassinate the commander.

The SOHR said Al-Jahmani had been Hezbollah's commander in Daraa since 2019 and reported a second man was also killed in the ambush.

Syrian-state media reported that Al-Jahmani was meeting with dignitaries in the town of Saida to find recruits for the pro-Iranian National Defence Forces militia when he was shot dead.

Al-Jahmani had been the commander of the Muhammad Bin Abdullah Brigade, part of the Yarmouk Brigade, in southern Syria, according to Syria TV.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced that his movement was fighting in Syria alongside regime forces in 2013.

Many of its commanders and fighters have been killed in the decade-old war.

Daraa has been a hotbed for ambushes on regime forces since they retook the rebel territories with Russian help in 2018.

A regime officer from the 22nd Air Defence Brigade was gunned down last month by an unknown assailant riding a motorbike.