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Key Points

The IDF has killed Haytham Bakri, a Hezbollah-linked financier running a money exchange in Lebanon. Bakri allegedly transferred Iranian funds for weapons and salaries to Hezbollah operatives. This comes days after Israel assassinated a Quds Force commander overseeing terror financing. Experts say these strikes severely disrupt Iran’s funding pipeline to Hezbollah.

Key Points: IDF Kills Hezbollah Financier Haytham Bakri in Lebanon Strike

  • IDF kills Al-Sadiq Exchange head tied to Hezbollah funding
  • Strike follows assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander
  • Bakri funneled Iranian money for weapons and salaries
  • Analysts say attacks cripple terror financing network
2 min read

IDF delivers another blow to Hezbollah funding channels  

Israel eliminates key Hezbollah money launderer linked to Iran’s Quds Force, disrupting terror funding channels.

"Haytham Bakri transferred funds for Hezbollah’s weapons and operatives – IDF"

Tel Aviv, June 25

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday announced that they have eliminated Haytham Abdullah Bakri, the head of the "Al-Sadiq" Currency Exchange, in South Lebanon.

"Haytham Abdullah Bakri, the head of the Al-Sadiq Currency Exchange who operated with Hezbollah to transfer funds for Hezbollah terrorist activities, was eliminated by the IDF in southern Lebanon," the IDF posted on X.

The IDF stated that this currency exchange functions as a fund storage and transfer mechanism for Hezbollah, for funds originating from the Iranian Quds Force.

"These funds are used by Hezbollah for military purposes including purchasing weapons, manufacturing means, and providing salaries to operatives, and are diverted for terrorist purposes and to finance the continuation of Hezbollah's terrorist activities," said the IDF.

The IDF detailed that Bakri consciously worked together with the terrorist organization Hezbollah, and transferred funds for their activities including military purposes, which again included purchasing weapons, production means and transferring salaries to operatives.

The IDF had eliminated Behanam Shahriari, Commander of Unit 190 of the Iranian Quds Force, last week.

Shahriari was assassinated in a targetted strike on his car when he was traveling in western Iran.

According to the IDF, Shahriari exclusively handled and managed the mechanisms to maintain the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars, which was again channeled annually to the Quds Force and its branches.

It added that Shahriari managed the mechanisms of the channels used for transferring money from the Quds Force to Hezbollah, through offsets between exchanges in Turkey, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) along with Lebanese exchanges. He worked directly with Hezbollah and Hamas to supply weapons, rockets, and missiles that were being used against Israel.

Analysts reckon that these two assassinations are a severe blow to the Iranian funding channels for Hezbollah.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Israel is showing the world how to deal with terror financing effectively. We in India should take notes on their intelligence operations. Our agencies need similar capabilities to track and disrupt funding to anti-India groups operating from across our borders. 🇮🇳
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Priya M.
While I understand Israel's security concerns, such targeted killings in other countries raise questions about sovereignty. What if another country starts doing this to our neighbors? We've seen how complex cross-border issues can be in South Asia. There should be international laws about this.
A
Amit S.
Iran's interference through proxies like Hezbollah is dangerous for the entire region. We've suffered similar problems with cross-border terror funding. Israel's actions might be controversial but they're necessary for self-defense. Hope our government is watching and learning.
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Neha T.
The money trail is always key! Whether it's Hezbollah or groups near our borders, cutting off funding is more effective than military action alone. Israel's intelligence on financial networks is impressive. Maybe India and Israel can collaborate more on counter-terrorism tech? 🤔
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Vikram J.
This shows how terror networks operate globally. While we focus on Pakistan, we must not ignore other routes - like how they mention UAE and Turkey in the article. Our coastal security and financial monitoring needs to be as tight as Israel's. Jai Hind!

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