Jerusalem: Hazam al-Assad, a member of Yemen's Ansarullah Political Bureau, has described Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani as a pioneer in confronting the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group in the region, saying he was always at the heart of the battle.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, al-Assad, in an exclusive interview, highlighted Martyr Soleimani's role as a field commander who was self-sacrificing and consistently present in the thick of the fight. Al-Assad emphasized Soleimani's exceptional insight and unmatched ability to analyze the battlefield, connecting intricate details with broader regional and international developments.

Al-Assad praised General Soleimani's respect for regional nations and the Resistance, noting his influential role in regional security. This role, according to al-Assad, was centered on countering the chaos and domination projects that the US and its allies were fueling through Takfiri groups. Soleimani was recognized as a leader in opposing the Daesh project and other terrorist groups.

The presence of the top anti-terror commander in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon was crucial in averting the collapse of these nations, preserving societies, maintaining a deterrent balance, and preventing comprehensive wars that could have favored the US and the Israeli regime, al-Assad remarked. Soleimani viewed the Palestinian issue as the central concern of the Islamic Ummah, linking regional conflicts to this issue and the Israeli regime.

Al-Assad explained Soleimani's efforts to bolster Palestinian resistance capabilities, providing military, logistical, and spiritual support, and integrating these into a unified Axis of Resistance that included Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Soleimani was also recognized for his awareness of the dangers posed by sectarian differences and worked towards strengthening Islamic unity to confront common enemies.

General Soleimani, along with senior Iraqi commander al-Muhandis, both esteemed figures in the fight against terrorism in the region, were assassinated in a US army-led terror attack near Baghdad on January 3, 2020, following a direct order from the then-US President Donald Trump.