Yehia Hosseini Panjaki, commander of the Iranian hacker group 'Khanzala', was killed in a targeted strike (apparently Israeli) during the recent war, according to the IRGC-linked the source affiliated with IRGC intelligence. A monitored channel confirmed for the first time yesterday that Panjaki led the group. Khanzala recently targeted Israeli officials, exfiltrating data from cellphones of senior figures including Naftali Bennett, Herzi Halevi, and Tzachi Braverman.
Yehia Hosseini Panjaki, commander of the Iranian hacker group 'Khanzala' (also known as "Khanzala" or "Bandarla" in other transliterations), was killed in a targeted strike believed to have been carried out by Israel during the recent war, an IRGC-intelligence-affiliated the source publicly confirmed for the first time on Wednesday. The channel, widely considered a mouthpiece for the IRGC's intelligence apparatus, stated that Panjaki was the head of the group.
Khanzala has been highly active against Israeli targets in recent months, claiming responsibility for hacking cellphones of senior Israeli officials including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and Shin Bet director Tzachi Braverman, among others. The group's activities have been routinely reported by both Israeli and Iranian sources. The IRGC affiliate's acknowledgment of Panjaki's role, and his death, marks a rare public admission by a body linked to Iran's security establishment.
As The Zioneer previously reported, sources indicated the commander of the Bandarla/Khanzala group had been killed, but the Iranian-linked channel had not previously confirmed his identity or his position. The latest development confirms that death.
The timing of the confirmation and the lack of an official Iranian government statement leaves the precise circumstances of the strike still unverified, but the IRGC-linked source provides strong corroboration for earlier reports.
3 developments
- StrongIranian hacker group Khanzala claims it disrupted US military strike waves electronically
- StrongHacker group Khanzala says joint cyber-IRGC response against 'the enemy' imminent
- StrongConfirmation: Hezbollah communications unit commander killed in Beirut strike
- DevelopingIranian hacker group Khanzala claims it breached California water facilities as warning
Source and signal
- Internal intake