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An Israeli air strike on a southern Beirut suburb on Friday targeted and reportedly killed Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil, in another escalation in the war on Lebanon.

A missile struck an apartment block in a heavily populated residential area of southern Beirut killing at least eight people, including children, with media believing the death toll is likely to rise. At least 59 people have been injured according to reports so far.

Aqil is the head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit, which has been at the forefront of clashes between Israel and the Lebanese group, and his death would mark another blow for the group.

Israel and Hezbollah have not confirmed his fate but a source confirmed to AFP that he was killed in the strike.

"The Israeli air strike killed Radwan Force commander Ibrahim Aqil, its armed force's second-in-command after Fuad Shukr," who an Israeli strike killed in July, also in Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold, said the source who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah's Al-Manar news channel reported that several people were killed, including children, as ambulances rushed to the scene of the blast.

An image from the scene, which cannot be confirmed by °®Âþµº, showed massive damage to the apartment block. The attack took place on early Friday evening when many of the building's residents would be at home with family.

Other scenes from the site of the attack showed massive damage to the Qaim area in the southern suburb of Beirut - a Hezbollah stronghold.

The road is reportedly a very busy area of the southern suburbs of the city, accessed daily by civilians.

The Israeli military said it had carried out a "targeted strike" in Beirut.

Aqil, also known as Tahsin, has been involved in Hezbollah's military operations since its early years, particularly during the Lebanese civil war and in subsequent conflicts with Israel.

He reportedly played a key role in developing Hezbollah's military strategies and was considered a highly experienced commander within the group after taking part in various armed campaigns in southern Lebanon against Israel.

During the 1980s, he was a principal member of a group that claimed responsibility for the bombings of the US Embassy in Beirut in April 1983, named Islamic Jihad Group, and launched the newly formed Hezbollah onto the global stage.

Also in the 1980s, Aqil directed the abduction of US and German hostages in Lebanon and held them there. The US had placed a bounty of up to $7 million for his capture.