This Saturday, November 3, the Israeli army indicated that it had captured a “ high-ranking Hezbollah agent » Lebanese during an operation carried out by an elite unit north of Beirut. The man “ was transferred to Israeli territory ” And ” currently under investigation “.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Michael Paul
An amphibious raid carried out by the marine commandos of “Shayetet 13”, one of the elite units of the Israeli army. This happened 140 kilometers from the Israeli border, in the small port town of Batroun in the north of Lebanon. The Lebanese National Information Agency (ANI) specifies that the events took place on Friday, November 1 at dawn.
In a terse statement, the Israeli army indicates that the operation made it possible to capture a high-ranking agent of the Hezbollah. An important source of information which is, at present, questioned in Israel by military intelligence officers, the press release further indicates. It is considered a “ expert in his field », According to a military official. The man “ was transferred to Israeli territory ” And ” currently under investigation “.
No indication of the identity of the individual who was kidnapped. Media in Israel and Lebanon claim that it is Imad Fadel Amhaz who is presented either as a senior Hezbollah official or as the captain of a civilian ship which allegedly holds important information on the weapons held by Hezbollah. Lebanese Shiite organization.
First operation of this kind
The operation itself was partly filmed by surveillance cameras in the streets of Batroun. We see around twenty soldiers dragging a civilian. The commandos arrived and left aboard dinghies. For several commentators this morning in Israel, this is a clear message addressed to Hezbollah.
This is the first time that such an operation has occurred since the start, more than a year ago, of violence between the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah and Israel, who entered into open war on September 23.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to file a complaint with the UN Security Council, according to a statement issued by his office, specifying that the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon were also carrying out investigations.
Also read: live from November 2, 2024Israel confirms having captured “high-ranking Hezbollah agent” in Lebanon, raids continue on Gaza