Hezbollah commander killed in Syria’s Idlib province

A top Hezbollah commander and a fighter were killed Sunday in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, a source told The Daily Star.

A Hezbollah statement confirmed the death of Hassan Hussein al-Hajj, describing him as a "martyr leader and a hero," Ad-Diyar newspaper reported.

His funeral will be held Monday at 4:00 p.m. in his hometown, Al-Louaize in the Jezzine district.

Hajj was the head of the party's operations in the province. However, the identity of the fighter remains unknown.

Syria's military backed by allied groups, including Hezbollah, on the ground and Russia in the air launched a major attack last week in Syria's west to recapture land lost to insurgents.

A senior regional source told Reuters earlier this month that around 3,000 fighters from Hezbollah had mobilized for the battle, along with Syrian army troops.

Idlib is mainly held by the Army of Conquest, an extremist alliance that includes al-Qaeda's Syria wing al-Nusra Front.