The militant Hezbollah group announced that Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has been re-elected as the Shiite Muslim group’s leader for a sixth term.

A Hezbollah statement did not say when the group’s top officials voted to re-elect Nasrallah, 49, who has held the post since an Israeli helicopter gunship killed his predecessor, Sheik Abbas Musawi.

Hezbollah’s leadership elections are usually held every three years but they were last held in 2004. Nasrallah is a strong critic of the United States, which lists Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

Hezbollah has become active in internal Lebanese politics and the group now has two Cabinet ministers and holds 11 of parliament’s 128 seats. — ap