A senior Hezbollah commander died on Saturday after he was wounded in Syria several days ago, a pro-Hezbollah website reported.

“The Islamic resistance in Hezbollah proudly weds a new Knight...Ali Shabeeb (Abu Trab al-Rweis) who died as he was performing his sacred religious duty,” pro-Hezbollah website www.southlebanon.org reported.

The website did not mention where or when Shabeeb was killed inside Syria. Hezbollah is believed to have deployed thousands of fighters in Syria.

The powerful Shiite movement has said its fight alongside President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is aimed at combatting Sunni extremists who, he claimed, are targeting Syria's Shiite and Christian minorities.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed last week to keep his forces in Syria.

“We have said on several occasions that the presence of our soldiers on Syrian soil is to defend... Syria, which supports the resistance” against Israel, Nasrallah said.

“So long as that reason exists, our presence there is justified.

“Those who speak of our withdrawal from Syria as a condition to form a government in Lebanon know that it is an impossible

ondition.

“We won't negotiate on the existence of Syria (in exchange for) a handful of ministries.”

Al Arabiya