Lebanon's Hezbollah vows stronger presence in Syria

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters from a screen during a rally to commemorate Hezbollah Wounded Veterans Day in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Aziz Taher

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah on Friday vowed to strengthen its presence in war-torn Syria and send more leaders to the conflict, a week after its top military commander there was killed.

The death of Mustafa Badreddine, who Hezbollah said was killed near Damascus by shellfire from Sunni Islamist rebels, was one of the biggest blows yet to the Iranian-backed group's leadership.