Syrian Islamic Jihad fighters killed in southern Lebanon

Islamic Jihad officially released a statement on the matter telegram The broadcaster mourned the deaths of three fighters from its Syrian branch, the Ali al-Aswad Brigade, on Wednesday. Islamic Jihad said the fighters died in southern Lebanon as part of the Al-Aqsa flood operation against Israel.

“With the highest marks of pride, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, delivers to our struggling Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations: Martyr Mujahideen Mahmoud Muhammad Balauni (29 years old), the Martyr Mujahideen Ahmed Muhammad Halawa (28 years old) and Martyr Mujahideen Muhammad Hussein Joud (27 years old). Those who stood up while carrying out their combat mission as part of the Al-Aqsa flood battle on the borders of occupied Palestine in southern Lebanon,” the statement said.

The deaths of the Islamic Jihad fighters add to mounting evidence that foreign fighters are allied with the Iran-led resistance axis and are actively engaging Israel in the ongoing seven-month conflict.

On March 2, the Israeli military said it had attacked a vehicle in southern Lebanon carrying members of the Iran-backed Syrian militia Imam Hossein Brigade, which had fired rockets into northern Israel that day.

Less than a week before the attack on members of the Imam Hossein Brigade, Israel killed two Syrian Islamic Jihad fighters operating in southern Lebanon.

Specifically, on November 22, 2023, Hamas announced that Israel had killed a group of militants in an airstrike while they were traveling in a vehicle in southern Lebanon. The target of the attack was Khalil al-Kharaz, a rocket commander with the Lebanese branch of Hamas. In particular, two Turkish nationals who were members of Hamas were killed in the attack: Yakup Erdal and Seyfullah Bilal Öztürk.

Other Iranian-led Axis Resistance groups may be conducting discreet operations in Lebanon. An example of this is the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which was blamed for attacks on Israeli territory during the conflict. Some of these attacks allegedly occurred against Israeli military facilities in the Golan Heights. However, other statements claimed attacks on the port city of Ashdod and an unknown target in the Mediterranean.

It is impractical for the Islamic Resistance in Iraq to fire drones from areas such as Iraq or Syria at targets in Ashdod and the Mediterranean as they would likely be shot down before reaching their target. However, if they were launched from Lebanon it would be a more viable operation.

The IRGC, a key player in supporting Hezbollah, is likely operating in Lebanon, and there is evidence that it was involved in supporting the group during the 2021 Gaza conflict. Nevertheless, all confirmed Israeli actions against IRGC members took place in connection with the war in Syria.

Joe Truzman is a senior research analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal, focusing primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle East.

Keywords: Hamas, Hezbollah, IRGC, Israel, Lebanon