The Dahieh suburb after an airstrike. Archive
The Dahieh suburb after an airstrike. ArchiveMohamed Azakir, Reuters

Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah military official and Hassan Nasrallah's brother-in-law, was the target of an airstrike on Thursday in western Beirut, Lebanon.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the strike killed 11 and wounded 48.

Safa oversaw the terror organization's coordination unit and was Nasrallah's "go-to guy" for special missions. This is the first time since the war began that Israel struck western Beirut, north of Hezbollah's stronghold in the city's southern suburbs (known as the Dahieh).

Wafiq Safa, Nasrallah's brother-in-law and confidant, is considered one of Hezbollah's top leaders. He represented the organization before various parties in Lebanon and abroad and is remembered by Israelis for his role in the release of the bodies of abducted IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. The fate of the soldiers was unknown for two years until Safa "revealed" by returning the bodies that they had been killed.

Since the ground maneuvers in Lebanon began, the IAF carried out about 1,100 airstrikes on arms storehouses, launchers, tunnel shafts, and surveillance and sniper posts. At the same time, 300 strikes were carried out in Gaza.