Who was longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah? WSOC TV [Video]

BEIRUT — (AP) — Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah led the Lebanese militant group for the past three decades, transforming it into one of the most powerful paramilitary groups in the Middle East.

Hezbollah confirmed Saturday that he was killed in an Israeli air raid that levelled six apartment buildings in Beirut the previous day.

Read his full obituary here, and here’s a shorter look at the leader:

Who was Hassan Nasrallah?

An astute strategist, the 64-year-old Nasrallah reshaped Hezbollah into an archenemy of Israel, cementing alliances with Shiite religious leaders in Iran and Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas.

Under his leadership, Hezbollah fought wars against Israel and took part in the conflict in neighboring Syria, helping tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assad.

Idolized by his Lebanese Shiite followers and respected by millions of others across the Arab and Islamic world, Nasrallah held the title of sayyid, an honorific meant to …