Just days after relieving Nasrallah, who is reportedly being treated for his cancer in Iran, a Lebanese newspaper now quotes rebels as saying Hezbollah Deputy Chief Naim Qassem was injured, or even killed in convoy blast near Damascus.

By Roi Kais

The Free Syria Army (FSA) released a statement saying that Hezbollah‘s second in command Naim Qassem was injured in a convoy explosion together with high ranking Syrian officers.

Hezbollah’s 2nd in command Naim Qassem – Photo: AP

The statement was quoted by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Mustaqbal, affiliated with the anti-Hezbollah camp. The report was not confirmed by other sources.

The rebels said they attacked a Hezbollah convoy on the outskirts of Damascus on Tuesday.

Elaborating on the attack, the rebels claimed they laid mines on the Damascus-Beirut highway, on the Syria– Lebanon border.

The convoy, they said, was en route to Syria following a meeting in Lebanon in the presence of the Syrian officers. Unconfirmed reports said that no one in the convoy survived the blast.

In a Reuters interview a year ago, Qassem said he believes Syrian President Bashar Assad will continue to rule the country despite the crisis which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians.

Naim Qassem with Ahmadinejad in Tehran – Photo: AP

He blamed the United States for the uprising, claiming the Americans provide financial and military aid to the rebels.

Qassem insisted Hezbollah is not interested in provoking Israel but acts in self defense, but warned that the group is always ready for a confrontation.

He refused to disclose information on Hezbollah’s growing arsenal, but said the group learned the lessons of the 2006 war with Israel and improved training, resources and equipment for future violent bouts.

The Turkish Anatolia News Agency reported Tuesday that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah became ill a few days ago, was admitted to a private hospital in Beirut and later flown to Tehran, this after a number of Lebanese news outlets reported over the past 24 hours that Nasrallah was diagnosed with cancer and is being treated in Iran. The reports have not been confirmed.

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4350274,00.html