Israeli forces "remove Hezbollah contacts in Syria"

Israeli forces say they killed Salman Nemer Jama, a high-ranking member of pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah, in Syria.

The Israeli air force announced on Thursday local time that it had targeted Jama, which had been acting as a liaison to Syrian government forces, in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Earlier, Reuters and Syria's state-run SANA news agency also reported that Jama, who was in a car near the Damascus airport, was killed in an airstrike.

The Israeli military explained that in the past, Jama had served as the head of intelligence in the Kiam region of southern Lebanon, as well as the head of operations at Hezbollah's Damascus command.

In particular, Jama was in close contact with Syrian government officials in charge of smuggling weapons from Syria to Hezbollah, the Israeli military said.

"The removal of Zama will weaken Hezbollah's capabilities in Syria," the Israeli military said.