Mariner abducted in northern Lebanon coastal raid

Lebanese authorities motorboat probe into suspected Israeli naval raid successful Baytoun.

A radical of equipped men has abducted a mariner successful bluish Lebanon, prompting an probe by Lebanese authorities into whether Israel was progressive successful the raid.

A antheral identified by Lebanese authorities media arsenic Imad Amhaz was seized aft a naval unit landed successful the municipality of Batroun astir dawn connected Friday.

CCTV camera footage shared online by Lebanese journalists appeared to amusement a radical of equipped men starring distant a antheral whose garment was implicit his head.

According to section media reports, much than 25 equipped men landed successful Batroun, astir 50km (31 miles) northbound of Beirut, and seized the antheral earlier returning to their boats and leaving the area.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) said an “unidentified subject force” carried retired a “sea landing” connected the enactment of Batroun astatine dawn connected Friday.

The unit “went with each its weapons and instrumentality to a chalet adjacent the beach, kidnapping a Lebanese man… and sailing distant into the unfastened oversea connected a speedboat,” the NNA said.

Reporting from Batroun, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan said the raid was “unprecedented”.

“This is bluish Lebanon; this is not the confederate suburbs oregon the borderline parts wherever we person seen Israeli troops connected the ground. This is an unprecedented raid,” helium said.

“This is simply a precise superior incident. We haven’t seen an extraction oregon abduction similar this for a precise agelong time. This is thing the Lebanese authorities volition beryllium taking seriously. They are already connected the crushed here.”

Israeli writer Barak Ravid cited an unnamed Israeli root arsenic claiming Amhaz is allegedly a elder subordinate of Hezbollah’s naval force.

Lebanon’s Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh quoted the country’s state-run National News Agency arsenic saying Ahmaz was a civilian naval officer.

He said the antheral was abducted conscionable 100 metres (328 feet) from his location and questioned wherefore UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was intended to resoluteness a 2006 warfare betwixt Israel and Hezbollah, was not being implemented.

“There is connection with UNIFIL due to the fact that the Lebanese seashore is monitored by it. UNIFIL’s ngo is to show the Lebanese seashore periodically from Naqoura to Arida,” Hamieh said astir the UN peacekeeping unit – which Israel has repeatedly attacked successful caller weeks.

Kandice Ardiel, a spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping unit successful Lebanon, denied allegations by immoderate section journalists who said that UN forces helped the landing unit successful the operation.

“Disinformation and mendacious rumours are irresponsible and enactment peacekeepers astatine risk,” Ardiel said.

The uncommon night-time raid successful bluish Lebanon comes arsenic the Israeli subject continues to bombard areas crossed the country.

Air attacks connected Saturday day deed parts of Nabatieh, the Bekaa Valley, and the ancient cities of Tyre and Baalbek.

Hezbollah continued to occurrence rockets and drones into Israel. Israeli media reported a rocket injured 19 radical successful Tayibe successful cardinal Israel connected Saturday.