Hezbollah planned Israel ex-intel officer's killing to avenge Soleimani death: Report

The Hezbollah militants hatched a plot to assassinate Israel’s former intelligence officer living in Bogota in a broad effort to avenge the US killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, reported Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper. Citing unnamed military intelligence sources, the Colombian newspaper stated that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency found that its unnamed officer was being spied upon by Hezbollah. The Israeli national, diplomat had reportedly opened a business selling surveillance equipment in Colombia’s capital and the Hezbollah group is also believed to be keeping an eye on United States diplomats working in the city. 

Following the uncovering of the surveillance operation carried by Hezbollah, the Israeli national was said to have fled back to their home country. The newspaper’s sources suggested that Hezbollah planned to use former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group to execute the assassination. The Lebanese political movement and militant group known to enjoy warm ties with Venezuela, Colombia’s regional archenemy, and Bogota and Washington have accused Caracas of providing the group with financial assistance. 

However, both Hezbollah and the Venezuelan government have rejected the claims as baseless. Colombian officials told El Tiempo that the alleged incident took place against the backdrop of a general increase in the activity of Hezbollah in the Latin American country, and has claimed that the militants used Colombia to conduct “criminal activities”. 

Colombian Defence Minister Diego Molano told the broadsheet that his country’s security forces recently “had to deal with a situation where we had to organize an operation to capture and expel two criminals commissioned by Hezbollah with the intention of committing a criminal act in Colombia.” The lawmaker did not elaborate on the ‘criminal act,’ but noted that there was a “risk with Hezbollah” in neighbouring Venezuela and “what its links to drug traffic or terrorist groups on the Venezuelan side could generate for national security.”

Hezbollah did not comment on the report

Hezbollah has not commented on the El Tiempo report recently. But the militants have previously dismissed the false claims about the alleged criminal activities in Colombia made by Bogota and pro-government media. Colombian Defence Minister visited Israel last week and hailed both the nations’ joint fight against the “common enemy in Iran and Hezbollah.” Notably, the Islamic Republic has maintained close strategic ties with Venezuela and provided the country with economic assistance and political support against the US-led efforts to topple the Caracas government and deteriorate the Venezuelan economy.

(IMAGE: AP)