MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Bilal Nadir Khairuddin, known by the nom de guerre 'Abu Jafaar', was killed in the Christian town of Quaryatayn in Homs province on Monday, Al Arabiya News reported on Tuesday, citing Hezbollah-tied outlets. He was considered one of Hezbollah’s key figures in the country after he founded the “Redha forces,” the group that represents Hezbollah in Syria.
The Syrian army has been carrying out an operation to liberate Quaryatayn, with Russian air support. The city had been taken by Daesh in August, 2015, prior to the Russian campaign; after invading the city, Daesh abducted over 200 people, including dozens of Christians.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite paramilitary and political organization with close ties to Iran, was established in the 1980s after Israel invaded Lebanon. The group has been fighting alongside the Syrian government against Sunni radicals and other militant groups, such as Daesh, which has been condemned by Russia, the United Nations and throughout the world.