On the 40th anniversary of the devastating Iranian-backed Hezbollah bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut, the US State Department announced that it is offering a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to the identification, location, arrest, and/or conviction of Ibrahim Aqil, a high-ranking Hezbollah leader.
Aqil, also known as Tahsin, is a key member of Hezbollah‘s Jihad Council, the organization’s highest military body.
In the 1980s, he was a principal figure in the Islamic Jihad Organization, a Hezbollah terrorist cell that claimed responsibility for the US Embassy bombing in Beirut in April 1983, which killed 63 people, and the bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in October 1983, resulting in the deaths of 241 US personnel.
Additionally, Aqil orchestrated the kidnapping of American and German hostages in Lebanon during the same period.
A year ago, the US State Department also offered a reward of up to $3 million for information about the April 18, 1983 attack on the US Embassy in Beirut.
Earlier this year, the US announced up to $10 million bounty on information on 2 Hezbollah financiers. Another Hezbollah financier, Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi, who had a $10 million bounty on him was caught a few months ago in Romania.
On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Beirut held a commemoration for the 40th anniversary of the tragic attack. US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea emphasized that, despite Hezbollah’s attempts to weaken the bond between the United States and Lebanon, the partnership remains strong.
Shea underscored the mutual commitment to working together, caring for one another, and striving for a brighter future for the Lebanese people, asserting that both nations have the strength and determination to move forward toward a more peaceful future.
The State Department is encouraging anyone with relevant information to submit it through secure messaging apps like Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp to the following number: +1-202-702-7843.
