Hamas-allied leader killed in Israeli strike south of Beirut

A military leader of Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese religiopolitical group allied with Palestinian Hamas, was killed Tuesday in an Israeli strike south of Beirut, the group said.

According to the Lebanese Civil Defence, "an Israeli drone targeted a car" near the coastal town of Damour, about 20 kilometers south of Beirut, and rescuers recovered a man's body from the vehicle.

In a statement, Jamaa Islamiya announced the death of Hussein Atoui, described as "an academic leader and university professor".

The group said an Israeli drone strike "targeted his car as he was travelling to his workplace in Beirut on Tuesday morning".

A security official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Atoui was a leader of Jamaa Islamiya's armed wing, the Al-Fajr Forces.

An AFP photographer saw the charred wreckage of a car at the scene of the attack. The area was cordoned off by the Lebanese army as forensic teams conducted an inspection.

Jamaa Islamiya is closely linked to both Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

It has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks against Israel during more than a year of cross-border hostilities, including two months of all-out war, before a November ceasefire.

Israel has regularly carried out strikes since the truce came into effect, and two unclaimed rocket attacks from Lebanon targeting Israel were reported on March 22 and 28.

The Lebanese army announced last week that it had arrested several Lebanese and Palestinians responsible for the shooting, which a security official said included three Hamas members.

Israel on Sunday said it killed two senior members of Hezbollah in a series of air strikes.