Two Recent Deaths in Attacks on Proxy Groups in Iraq and Lebanon
Anonymous but Important
Two recent deaths in attacks on proxy groups in Iraq and Lebanon: U.S. and Israeli attacks against forces and proxy groups affiliated with the Iranian Republic in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon have increased. As a result of these attacks, two of the most important commanders of Tehran-affiliated militia groups were killed over two days, one in Iraq and the other in Lebanon.
On Wednesday, February 7, an American drone attack on a vehicle in southeast Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, resulted in the death of Abu Baqir al-Saadi, one of the most prominent commanders of the Kata’ib Hezbollah group, and two of his companions.
The missile fired at this vehicle by the drone was a Hellfire precision-guided missile, the same type used in targeting the vehicle carrying Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Baghdad.
A statement from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) noted that in the Wednesday night attack, the person responsible for planning attacks against American forces in the region was killed. The recent U.S. attacks are in response to the attacks by Iraqi militia groups, primarily Kata’ib Hezbollah, on bases hosting American forces in Iraq and Syria in recent months. Last week’s attack on Base 22 in northeast Jordan resulted in the death of at least three American soldiers and the killing of four others.
Abu Baqir al-Saadi, Head of the Missile Unit of Kata’ib Hezbollah
Various media outlets, citing security sources and sources close to the Iran-backed militia groups, described al-Saadi as one of the most important and dangerous commanders of Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq, responsible for commanding the missile unit of this militia group. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that al-Saadi was in charge of the drone attack on Base 22, in which three American soldiers were killed.
According to this report, al-Saadi was part of the Sadr movement forces until 2007. That year, he went to Iran, split from the Sadr movement, and joined Kata’ib Hezbollah. Since then, he has been involved in planning and executing operations.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, quoting a security source, wrote that the assassination of al-Saadi is a significant blow to Kata’ib Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militia groups and indicates the threat facing the commanders of these groups. Kata’ib Hezbollah and the al-Nujaba militia group promised to avenge al-Saadi’s blood in separate statements.
Abbas al-Dibs, a Commander of Hezbollah Lebanon
On Thursday, an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle in the Nabatieh region in southern Lebanon resulted in the death of Abbas al-Dibs, a field commander of Hezbollah Lebanon. According to Israeli Army Radio, Abbas al-Dibs was the commander of Hezbollah forces in the Nabatieh region. According to Israeli Radio and Sky News, al-Dibs was close to Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah Lebanon, and also to Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Abbas al-Dibs was known by the alias Haj Abdullah and was actually in charge of Hezbollah forces in an area from which anti-tank rockets were fired at the town of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel. Lebanese media reported that al-Dibs had been pursued by Israel since 2022 due to his involvement with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air defense project in Syria. The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post wrote that Abbas al-Dibs was trained in Tehran by the Revolutionary Guards in developing drone capabilities.
No photo of Abbas al-Dibs has been published, but in 2022, the Israeli Army released a drawing resembling him and announced that he was being pursued due to his participation in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air defense project in Syria.
