URGENT: 1st Hezbollah leader killed in Iraq while fighting ISIL
On Thursday, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV aired footage of al-Haj’s funeral that was held in the Lebanese eastern town of Mashghara on Wednesday. The funeral was attended by top Hezbollah officials, including the head of the group’s parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad and Minister of Industry Hussein Haj Hassan.
Al-Manar News referred to al-Haj as “commander,” saying he died while “performing his Jihadi duties” — a term used by the group when its members are killed in action. Al-Haj’s coffin, draped in the group’s yellow flag, was carried by Hezbollah fighters in uniform who walked on a red carpet as a band played music.
Iraqi officials have said that a handful of advisers from Hezbollah are offering front-line guidance to Iraqi Shiite militias fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant north of Baghdad. But there has been no official confirmation that any Hezbollah fighters are fighting along Iraqi Shiite militiamen. A number of armed Shiite factions such as the Lebanese Hezbollah, Abou El Fadl Brigade, Peace Brigades, the League of the Aljq and others are said to have collaborated in military operations with Iraqi security forces against the terrorist organization of ISIL.