Jerusalem, 9 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Defense Forces confirmed killing a Hezbollah artillery commander in the southern Lebanon area of Yanuah. The announcement came hours after the IDF said it had captured a senior member of the al-Jamaa Islamiya terror organization during a separate overnight raid.
The artillery commander, identified as Ahmed Ali Salami, “advanced numerous firing lines towards IDF forces and the State of Israel, and recently the terrorist worked to restore the terrorist organization’s artillery array from within the civilian population in lebanon,” the IDF said.
The IDF added that it was aware of claims that civilians were killed and was reviewing the strike. “Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance. The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians and operates to minimize harm as much as possible,” the army said. Lebanese media reports said three people were killed.
Earlier in the day, the IDF said it arrested a senior al-Jamaa Islamiya figure in the area of Mount Dov overnight. The terror group is associated with the Muslim Brotherhood but has worked with Hezbollah. Al-Jamaa Islamiya identified the apprehended terrorist as Atwi Atwi. Neither al-Jamaa Islamiya nor the IDF elaborated on Atwi’s role in the terror group.
According to the IDF, he was taken to Israel for interrogation.
Israel is enforcing a Ceasefire reached in late 2024. The IDF reported killing around 380 Hezbollah operatives and striking roughly 950 to 1,000 targets in 2025. These included launchers, weapons depots, military structures, and underground shafts. The IDF also accused Hezbollah of violating the Ceasefire about 1,920 times during the year.
The ceasefire requires Hezbollah to withdraw its armed forces from southern Lebanon and prohibits it from operating south of the Litani River.
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