Israeli military official says Israeli forces capture senior Hezbollah operative in north Lebanon

BATROUN, Lebanon (AP) — An Israeli subject charismatic said Saturday that Israeli naval forces captured a elder Hezbollah operative successful northbound Lebanon.

The cognition took spot successful nan bluish Lebanese municipality of Batroun, nan charismatic said without providing nan sanction of nan personification they detained.

Earlier connected Saturday, Lebanese authorities said it was investigating whether Israel was down nan seizure of a Lebanese oversea skipper who was taken distant by a group of equipped men who had landed connected nan seashore of Batroun connected Friday.

“The operative has been transferred to Israeli territory and is presently being investigated.” nan charismatic said.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

BATROUN, Lebanon (AP) — A Lebanese oversea skipper was taken distant by a group of equipped men who landed connected nan seashore of Batroun municipality northbound of Beirut and authorities said Saturday 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.

Hezbollah issued a connection calling what happened a “Zionist aggression successful nan Batroun area.” The connection did not springiness specifications aliases corroborate whether 1 of Hezbollah’s members was captured by Israel.

Israel’s subject said it was looking into section media reports that said its forces captured a elder personnel of Hezbollah’s naval unit during nan operation. Israel has carried retired successful nan past commando operations heavy wrong Lebanon to kidnap aliases termination Hezbollah and Palestinian officials.

Residents of nan flat building wherever nan man was seized said nan equipped group introduced themselves arsenic authorities security.

“We were terrified. They were breaking into nan flat adjacent to ours,” Hussein Delbani told The Associated Press adjacent wherever nan man was captured. “I thought a authorities agency was doing a information operation,” said Delbani, who was displaced from southbound Lebanon a period agone erstwhile nan Israel-Hezbollah warfare erupted.

He said he saw from his pavilion group down connected nan seashore and they screamed again for him to spell inside.

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 immoderate 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.

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

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