A Lebanese ship captain is snatched by armed men and officials probe link to Israel

Lebanese officials opportunity a vessel skipper was taken distant by a group of equipped men who landed connected a seashore northbound of Beirut and they're investigating whether Israel was involved

BEIRUT -- A Lebanese vessel skipper was taken distant by a group of equipped men who landed connected a seashore northbound of Beirut, authorities said Saturday, adding they were investigating whether Israel was involved.

Two Lebanese subject officials confirmed to nan Associated Press that a naval unit landed successful Batroun, astir 30 kilometers (18 miles) northbound of Beirut, and abducted a Lebanese citizen. Neither gave nan man’s personality aliases said whether he was thought to person links to Lebanon’s Hezbollah group. They did not corroborate whether nan equipped men were an Israeli force.

Speaking to Lebanon's Al-Jadeed TV, Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamie declined to spell into specifications aliases reply questions astir whether it was thought to beryllium an Israeli operation.

Three Lebanese judicial officials told AP nan incident occurred astatine dawn Friday, adding that nan skipper mightiness person links pinch Hezbollah. The officials said an investigation is looking into nan man is linked to Hezbollah aliases moving for an Israeli spy agency and an Israeli unit came to rescue him.

Both nan subject and judicial officials said connected nan information of anonymity arsenic they were unauthorized to stock specifications astir nan incident aliases nan ongoing investigation.

Hamie told Al-Jadeed nan man was a skipper of civilian ships. He graduated successful 2022 and successful precocious September joined nan Batroun's Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute for further courses. Hamie said that nan man lived astir 300 meters (980 feet) from nan institute.

Hamie's remarks came soon aft 2 Lebanese journalists posted a video connected societal media showing what appeared to beryllium astir 20 equipped men taking distant a man from successful beforehand a house, his look covered pinch his shirt.

Kandice Ardiel, a spokesperson for nan U.N. peacekeeping unit deployed successful southbound Lebanon, denied allegations by immoderate section journalists who said that nan peacekeepers helped nan landing unit successful nan operation. The U.N. mission, known arsenic UNIFIL, has a maritime unit that monitors nan coast.

"Disinformation and mendacious rumors are irresponsible and put peacekeepers astatine risk,” Ardiel said.

There was nary contiguous remark from Israeli authorities.

Israel has carried retired successful nan past commando operations heavy wrong Lebanon to kidnap aliases termination Hezbollah and Palestinian officials.

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Associated Press writers Sally Abou Aljoud successful Beirut and Natalie Melzer successful Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s warfare sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war