JERUSALEM, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel estimates that Hashem Safieddine, a Lebanese Shia cleric widely regarded as the heir to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in airstrikes in Beirut, Israel's state-owned media reported on Friday.
Citing senior Israeli government officials, public broadcaster Kan TV reported that Safieddine was in an underground compound bombed by Israel on Thursday with bunker-buster bombs that targeted him specifically.
The officials said it was unlikely he survived the attack.
However, neither Israel nor Hezbollah has made any official statements regarding his condition yet.
Safieddine, 60, a cousin of Nasrallah, was reportedly expected to succeed him as the leader of the Lebanese political party and armed group after Nasrallah was killed in earlier Israeli airstrikes in Beirut. ■
