Israeli authorities confirmed Saturday that an elite naval commando operation by Shayetet 13 captured a senior Hezbollah operative in Batroun, northern Lebanon.
The individual, described as an expert in weaponry crucial to Hezbollah's capabilities, was transferred to Israel and is currently being interrogated by Unit 504, Israel’s military intelligence division.
Israeli commandos capture senior Hezbollah operative in Batroun, northern Lebanon
According to earlier reports from Arabic media, a team of more than 25 suspected Israeli commandos landed on the shores of Batroun, approximately 85 miles from Israel’s border, and apprehended the Hezbollah operative in a building in the sector.
Israeli sources hailed the operation as a show of "bold operational capability," with one official remarking, "They just reached in and extracted someone from deep within Lebanon."
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The building from which Amhaz was extracted, in Batroun, northern Lebanon
(Photo: Ibrahim Chalhoub / AFP)
4 View gallery
Lebanese Army forces near the building from which Amhaz was taken
(Photo: Ibrahim Chalhoub / AFP)
Sources said that the detained operative was "an individual with significant operational expertise in weaponry capabilities, akin to those Hezbollah used during the Second Lebanon War."
Sky News Arabia quoted an Israeli security source confirming the capture, identifying the detainee as Imad Amahaz.
Hezbollah has reportedly denied any connection to the individual, while Lebanon’s Al Jadeed network claimed Amahaz is an officer in the Lebanese Navy, potentially tied to Hezbollah.
However, Al Arabiya, citing additional sources, reported that he is not affiliated with Lebanon's official military forces.
The Associated Press reported that the raid took place early Friday in the coastal town of Batroun, about 20 miles north of Beirut. The man allegedly abducted had rented an apartment on the first floor of a multi-story building in the town.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that locals observed an unidentified military force conducting an amphibious landing on the beach. The force reportedly moved with weapons and equipment to a nearby cabin, later capturing the Lebanese national, taking him to the shore and departing on motorboats to the open sea.
Security footage distributed from the area shows around 20 armed individuals in military uniform escorting a person with his face covered by a shirt.
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