Hezbollah on Wednesday confirmed that Hashem Safieddine, a top official who was expected to be the next leader of the Lebanese militia and political party, was killed in Israeli airstrike, according to The Associated Press.

Hashem Safieddine, whose killing was confirmed by Hezbollah on Wednesday, briefly helped run Lebanon's strongest military and political force as the presumed successor to its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah,

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hashem Safieddine, the top Hezbollah official widely expected to succeed slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli attack, the group said Wednesday. Hezbollah confirmed that Safieddine was killed in an Israeli airstrike.