TEL AVIV, October 14. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces announced it took out the commander of Hamas’ air array, Samer Abu-Daqa, during airstrikes in the Gaza Strip in September.

"Abu-Daqa succeeded the previous head of the Hamas air array, who was eliminated in October 2023," the IDF said in a statement.

According to the IDF, Abu-Daqa was in charge of launching drones toward Israeli territory and Israel Defense Forces troops. The Israeli military called him "a key source of knowledge in Hamas’ air array," who played a central role in establishing the group’s air units.

The radical was "among the people who planned the infiltration of Israel with paragliders and drones during the October 7 massacre," according to the statement.

He previously also served as the head of the Hamas’ drone unit before May 2021, the IDF said.