Hassan al-Lakis was as head-goods buyers Hizbollah. Now he has been killed outside his home in Beirut. The Shiite militia makes Israel responsible for the assassination and threatened with retaliation.

The assassins lurking in front of the residence: Hassan al-Lakis, a senior commander of Hizbollah, has been shot dead in Tuesday night by unknown assailants. The attack had happened around midnight in the Beirut district of Hadath, said the organization. According to the radio station “Voice of Lebanon” Lakis said to have been sitting in his car when the shooting occurred. He had died shortly afterwards in hospital from his injuries.

“We make the Israeli enemy for the act responsible,” wrote Hizbollah in a statement. “You have our brother many times and tried to kill in different places.” Indirectly, the militia threatened Israel with retaliation: “The enemy has full responsibility and all consequences of this heinous crime,” says the Hizbollah statement.

The militant Shi’ite group said Hussein al Laqis was killed as he returned from work at around midnight in the Hadath district of the city.

Gunmen opened fire with an assault rifle while he was sat in his vehicle in a car park, Lebanese security officials said.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, but died from his injuries.

Hizbollah said: “Direct accusation is aimed of course against the Israeli enemy, which had tried to eliminate our martyred brother again and again, in several places, but had failed until yesterday evening.

“This enemy must bear full responsibility for … all the consequences of this heinous crime.”

However, Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, denied his country was involved.

“Israel has nothing to do with this incident,” he said.

“These automatic accusations are an innate reflex with Hizbollah. They don’t need evidence, they don’t need facts, they just blame anything on Israel.”

Mr al Laqis was close to Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a source within the group told the AFP news agency.

His son died fighting Israel in the month-long war of 2006, in which more than 1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and more than 150 Israelis, mainly soldiers, were killed.