A new report warns that Hezbollah’s secret assassination unit could be used to prevent Lebanon’s government from breaking the country away from Iranian control.
Hezbollah’s highly secretive Unit 121 serves as the terrorist organization’s internal assassination arm, targeting Lebanese politicians, security officials, military officers and journalists who challenge Hezbollah’s authority.
According to the report, the unit answers directly to Hezbollah’s secretary-general and was originally established under senior terrorist commander Imad Mughniyeh. It reportedly consists of a small number of carefully selected operatives who use separate encrypted communication networks.
Unit 121 has been linked to a series of assassinations, including the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Salim Ayyash, a Hezbollah operative who led the team responsible for the bombing, was convicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon and sentenced in absentia to five life terms.