Israel eliminates Quds Force engineering head, claims he advanced underground projects across Lebanon, Syria

Tel Aviv [Israel], April 1 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday killed Mahdi Vafaei, the Head of the Engineering Branch of the Quds Force's Lebanon Corps in the Mahallat Area in Iran.
IDF said that Vafaei advanced underground projects across Lebanon and Syria.
In a post on X, it said, "ELIMINATED: Mahdi Vafaei, the Head of the Engineering Branch of the Quds Force's Lebanon Corps in the Mahallat Area in Iran. Vafaei advanced underground projects across Lebanon and Syria, leading efforts to establish and manage underground terrorist infrastructure sites for Hezbollah and the Assad regime."

🔴ELIMINATED: Mahdi Vafaei, the Head of the Engineering Branch of the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps in the Mahallat Area in Iran

Vafaei advanced underground projects across Lebanon and Syria, leading efforts to establish and manage underground terrorist infrastructure sites for…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 1, 2026

Earlier on Tuesday, IDF killed Ibrahim al-Khaldi, a terrorist from the Hamas naval force, in the area of Nuseirat.
In a post on X, IDF said, "ELIMINATED: Ibrahim al-Khaldi, a terrorist from the Hamas naval force, in the area of Nuseirat. Al-Khaldi has functioned as a source of expertise, while planning and advancing maritime terror attacks against IDF troops from Gaza."

🔴ELIMINATED: Ibrahim al-Khaldi, a terrorist from the Hamas naval force, in the area of Nuseirat.

Al-Khaldi has functioned as a source of expertise, while planning and advancing maritime terror attacks against IDF troops from Gaza.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 31, 2026

Earlier in the day, the IDF detailed the scale of its ongoing military campaign against Iran and its regional allies, claiming thousands of targets have been struck as part of a coordinated offensive alongside the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
In a video message on a post on X, the IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said the joint operation, launched about a month ago with US forces, is aimed at significantly weakening the "Iranian terror regime" and its network of proxies.

למעלה מ-800 מטסי תקיפה ו-16,000 חימושים: נתוני צה"ל במבצע 'שאגת הארי' עד כאן

לכל הפרטים👇https://t.co/RKFZ3cTlhz pic.twitter.com/O4ipi5n2sv

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 1, 2026

"More than 4,000 targets were attacked, within them more than 10,000 terror components," Defrin said, outlining the breadth of the campaign.
The IDF said it had " eliminated the master terrorist Ali Khamenei" and reported that an Israeli Adir fighter jet had shot down an Iranian aircraft over Iranian airspace. The statement also highlighted intensified operations against Hezbollah, including airstrikes and a ground entry into Lebanon. (ANI)