Hezbollah says Islamist extremists killed military chief in Syria

BEIRUT - ing its top military commander in to defend President Bashar al

a government-controlled hospital in - monitor said.

- sands of fighters in Syria where Mustafa Badreddine had led its Russia and Iran.

Badreddine, who was on a US international airport.

its usual pattern of accusing arch-foe

had concluded that Sunni Islamist killed Badreddine.

“An investigation has shown that - national airport that led to the mar

It did not name any specific

- Sunni extremists from IS and Al-Nusra

A Syrian security source has told Agence France-Presse that Badreddine was in a warehouse near the on Thursday night.

explosion, the source said.

- - either in the past three days.

hospital on Saturday as it pressed an advance aimed at controlling all of

The attack sparked clashes with regime forces providing security - diers and pro-regime militiamen and 24 IS fighters were killed,

The monitoring group said regime forces recaptured the hospital after losing control for several hours during which IS took medical staff hostage.

There was no immediate word on their fate.

the center and the north of the city.

In the northern city of Aleppo, where a ceasefire expired on Wednesday at midnight, held western sectors.