Hassan al-Laqqis, a Hezbollah commander who fought in Syria and had a key role in the group’s drone program, was shot dead in Beirut. The Ahrar al-Sunna Baalbek brigade claimed the attack, but Hezbollah blamed Israel and claimed it had targeted him in the past. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah defended the group’s role in Syria and blamed Saudi Arabia for last month’s suicide attacks on the Iranian Embassy in Beirut; former prime minister Saad Hariri accused Nasrallah of twisting the facts.
