Israeli forces land on Batroun shore, abduct 'Hezbollah official'

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A 25-strong Israeli naval force made a landing on Batroun's shore at dawn Friday and abducted Hezbollah official Imad Fadel Amhaz from a chalet, media reports and security sources said on Saturday.

"Israeli Navy SEALs captured last night Imad Amhaz -- a senior member of Hezbollah's naval force -- in an operation in Northern Lebanon," an Israeli official told U.S. news portal Axios.

"Amhaz was detained in order to interrogate him and learn more about Hezbollah's naval operations," the official added.

An Israeli security source had earlier confirmed to Sky News Arabia that an abduction took place in Batroun, as Israeli newspaper Maariv quoted the Israeli army as confirming that "Israeli forces captured a Hezbollah official deep in Lebanon."

Caretaker Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh told Al-Jadeed TV that the man abducted is a civilian sea captain for civilian and commercial ships, and that he was undergoing a one-month course at a maritime institute in Batroun, where he also rented a chalet.

He graduated in 2022 and in late September joined the Batroun's Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute for additional courses, Hamieh said, adding that that the man lived roughly 300 meters from the institute.

Hamieh's remarks came shortly after two Lebanese journalists posted a video on social media showing what appeared to be about 20 soldiers taking away a man from in front a house, his face covered with his shirt.

Kandice Ardiel, a spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed in south Lebanon, denied allegations by some local journalists who said that the peacekeepers helped the landing force in the operation. The U.N. mission, known as UNIFIL, has a maritime force that monitors the coast.

"Disinformation and false rumors are irresponsible and put peacekeepers at risk,” Ardiel said.

Israel has carried out in the past commando operations deep inside Lebanon to kidnap or kill Hezbollah and Palestinian officials.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said they were checking reports of the incident.

Lebanon's official National News agency said an "unidentified military force" carried out a "sea landing" on the shore of Batroun, south of Tripoli, at dawn on Friday.

The force "went with all its weapons and equipment to a chalet near the beach, kidnapping a Lebanese man... and sailing away into the open sea on a speedboat," the NNA said.

An acquaintance of the abductee identified him as a student at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute (MARSATI) in Batroun.

He was taken from student housing near the Batroun institute, but was a resident of the Shiite-majority town of Qmatiyeh further south, said the acquaintance who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security concerns.

He was completing courses to become a sea captain, the source told AFP, adding that the man was in his 30s and was well known by the teaching staff at the center.

The Christian-majority city of Batroun has been relatively sheltered from the Israel-Hezbollah war that has pummelled south Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

The war since September 23 has killed more than 1,900 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures though the real number is likely higher due to data gaps.

Comments 7
Thumb i.report 1 month

Lebanon is a disgrace—full of cowards and jokers. How can we allow a soldier to be captured on our own soil? Why is the German navy under UNFIL banner a credible suspect?

Lebanon would have been wiped off the map if it weren’t for the Hizb.

Thumb chrisrushlau 1 month

AFP and AP say that most Lebanese support Israel's state racism because it makes it impossible for Lebanese to do anything about the privileged position of Christians in Lebanon, who are given half of the seats in the parliament by Constitutional Article 24. AFP and AP disagree on whether racism is good. AFP says that a little racism never hurt anybody, whereas AP says that nice people don't talk about racism.

Thumb chrisrushlau 1 month

I apologize for my inane remarks. The idea of Israel having navy SEALs cracks me up. It looks to Naharnet, apparently, like the SEALs got the wrong person. Again. Like killing ninety people in a high-rise because they wanted to kill someone they thought was on the roof.

Thumb jabal10452 1 month

He is a known Hezbollah scum hiding in a Christian town.

Thumb jabal10452 1 month

He is a known Hezbollah scum hiding in a Christian town.

Missing un520 1 month

He didn`t need that passport to cross the border into Israel, did he?

Missing un520 1 month

He didn`t need that passport to cross the border into Israel, did he?