Israeli naval commandos abduct Hezbollah operative: Report

Israeli naval commandos abducted a senior Hezbollah operative in an operation in the northern Lebanese town of Batroun, officials said Saturday.

Lebanese authorities said earlier Saturday they were investigating whether Israel was behind the capture of a sea captain who was taken by a group of armed men near the coastal town of Batroun, The Associated Press reported.

It’s the first time Israel has announced it deployed troops into northern Lebanon to continue its battle against the Iranian-backed militant group.

Hezbollah and Israel have seen an escalation in military activity as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues its battle in the region more than a year after it started in Gaza with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The escalating tensions, with top Hezbollah leaders being killed and Iran firing missiles at Israel, has sparked concern that the conflict could become a greater regional war.

Hezbollah released a statement describing Saturday’s incident as “Zionist aggression in the Batroun area.”

It did not confirm whether a member was captured, but two Lebanese military officials confirmed to The Associated Press that a naval force landed in the town, which is about 18 miles north of Beirut, and a Lebanese citizen was abducted.

Three Lebanese judicial officials told the news service the operation happened early Friday. They said they were working to determine if the man was linked to Hezbollah or working for an Israeli spy agency and was rescued by the IDF.

The Associated Press contributed.