BEIRUT — A Lebanese man sanctioned by the U.S. for his alleged links with Palestinian group Hamas was found dead Wednesday after he went missing for a week, Lebanese state media and judicial officials said.
Mohammad Srour, 57, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in August 2019 for giving “financial, material, technological support, financial or other services” to Hamas and his affiliation with Hezbollah. He was accused of transferring tens of millions of dollars annually from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades. Lebanese judicial officials say he worked for Hezbollah’s financial arm.
Srour’s death comes days after a local official of the Christian nationalist Lebanese Forces political party was found killed in a Syrian border town near the northeastern Lebanese border. Authorities say he was kidnapped by a Syrian gang in northern Lebanon.
The circumstances of Srour’s death are unclear.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, referring to Srour only by his initials, said he went missing for several days after he went to a money transfer shop to withdraw a payment that was sent to him. The NNA said his body was found with three bullet wounds.
Two judicial officials told The Associated Press that Srour was lured into a woman’s home just east of Beirut in Beit Mery where he was shot six times. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said an investigation will continue.
Intelligence officials suspect that several people may be involved in the killing, not just the woman whose whereabouts are unknown, the judicial officials said.