Hezbollah

Hezbollah, Arabic for Party of God, is a Lebanese Shi'a Islamist militant group. The group has a major influence on politics in Lebanon and is considered a resistance movement within the Muslim world. During the South Lebanon Conflict, Hezbollah militants launched suicidal-bomb attacks against the Israeli Defense Forces. Because of this, the Lebanese group is thought to be the first to use suicidal bombing as a means of offense. Hezbollah later became a paramilitary faction when it acquired high explosives and rockets. One of Hezbollah's main goals is to eliminate the state of Israel. The groups most notable operations include the Lebanon Hostage Crisis, 1983 US Embassy bombing, and hijacking TWA Flight 847.