The Most Mysterious Martyrdom Operation After 42 Years
A suicide operation whose hero remains anonymous even after four decades
Lebanon, PUREWILAYAH.COM - At 6:00 a.m. on Friday, November 4, 1983, the second Israeli military governor’s headquarters in Tyre was targeted by a truck bombing carried out with a green truck.
This martyrdom operation occurred only one year after the first Israeli headquarters in Jal al-Bahr was targeted in a similar operation named “Khaybar,” executed by Martyr Ahmad Qassir.
According to Tasnim cultural correspondent, at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, November 4, 1983, the second Israeli military headquarters in Tyre was struck by a green truck loaded with explosives.
This martyrdom attack came one year after the operation that targeted the first Israeli headquarters in Jal al-Bahr, known as the “Khaybar” operation and carried out by Martyr Ahmad Qassir.
Like the first headquarters, the new facility was also a Zionist intelligence center where interrogations and torture of detainees were conducted. It was located in Al-Shajara School, run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Tyre, which had been seized by occupation forces and used as a replacement for the previous headquarters destroyed a year earlier.
Dozens of Israeli Troops Killed
Hours after the operation, the occupying forces admitted to discovering the bodies of 30 Israeli soldiers inside Al-Shajara School. They confirmed that search and recovery efforts were ongoing and later concluded that 50 Israeli soldiers were killed.
Three hours later, Islamic Jihad issued a statement to AFP and Reuters in Beirut claiming responsibility for the attack. A spokesperson announced readiness to dispatch 3,000 fighters to South Lebanon to join other mujahideen in liberating the area from Zionist occupation.
The statement declared:
“We are soldiers of God, not Iranian, Syrian, or Palestinian. We are Lebanese Muslims who live according to the teachings of the Qur’an. We want no one in Lebanon.
We want an Islamic Republic, even if it requires struggle, and this method (martyrdom operations) will remain our path.”
The Unknown Martyr — Known Only as “Al-Husseini”
A notable aspect of this operation lies in the unknown identity of its executor. A commander in Islamic Jihad who accompanied the martyr until the final moment stated several years ago that the hero was known only as “Al-Husseini,” and his identity has remained secret for 39 years.
The commander noted that the martyr personally surveyed the target location and was extremely joyful and excited about attaining martyrdom.
Martyr Al-Husseini left with his hair still wet from ablution (wudhu), refusing to dry it.
Hezbollah’s Role Referenced
Sayyed Nawaf Al-Mousawi, former Lebanese MP, in a past interview with Al-Manar TV, referred to this operation and the role played by Hezbollah, even after Islamic Jihad — known for its martyrdom operations against multinational forces in Lebanon — claimed responsibility.
This organization had also targeted the U.S. Marine barracks and the French paratrooper base in Beirut.
Referenced in “Warriors of God”
The operation is also described in “Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah’s Thirty-Year Struggle Against Israel” by Nicholas Blanford:
“On November 4 [13 Aban 1362], a green truck broke through the gate of the Israeli military governor’s headquarters (located in a school building on the coastal road south of Tyre).
Although Israeli guards fired several shots at the driver and at least one hit him, the truck continued until it reached the building and exploded.
The massive blast — estimated to be caused by about 180 kg of explosives — completely destroyed the building and killed 29 Israelis, most of them border security guards.
The attack resembled the Ahmad Qassir operation a year earlier, and also the two devastating martyrdom bombings two weeks earlier on October 23: the attack on the U.S. Marine barracks at Beirut airport and the attack on the French paratrooper headquarters in south Beirut, which killed 241 U.S. Marines and 58 French troops — the deadliest single-day loss for the U.S. Marines since Iwo Jima.
Once again, the unknown ‘Islamic Jihad’ organization claimed responsibility for both attacks and the recent attack in Tyre.”
Legacy of a Hidden Hero
Forty-two years later, the identity of the martyr who carried out one of the most significant operations against the Israeli occupation in Lebanon remains a secret — a symbol of devotion, discipline, and unwavering faith embodied in the nameless hero known only as “Al-Husseini.” (PW)