Imad Fadel Amhaz, who was abducted at dawn on Friday from his chalet in Batroun by an Israeli naval commando, is not believed to be a member of Hezbollah, but has links with the pro-Iranian group, on whose behalf he was transporting weapons by sea from Syria to Lebanon.
This information has yet to be confirmed, as the Lebanese army is still investigating the kidnapping.
The Israeli army confirmed to the American news site Axios that it had carried out the operation, specifying that it was a Shayetet 13 unit that captured Amhaz, whom it presented as a “member of the Hezbollah naval force.”
The young man, in his thirties, was training at the Institute of Maritime Sciences and Technology (Marsati). According to Axios, the Israeli army said it wanted to “question him about the maritime activities” of the pro-Iranian formation.
On the Israeli army's official website, Shayetet 13 is presented as “a naval commando unit, acting at sea, on land and in the air in special and dangerous operations. The unit engages in a variety of operational activities, including inflicting strategic damage on enemy maritime infrastructure, as well as gathering high-quality intelligence on enemy operations.”
The kidnapping took place at 4 a.m. on Friday, but it wasn't until Saturday morning that the information leaked, while the whole operation was shrouded in mystery. By early afternoon, very little information was still available. It was only in the early evening that pieces of additional information were reported by pan-Arab and American media.
“A naval commando kidnapped a civilian, an investigation is underway into the circumstances of the kidnapping,” a Lebanese military source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We are also investigating whether it was an Israeli (force),” she added.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a judicial official said that the operation was “90%” the work of an “Israeli commando”.
The twenty or so members of the commando had arrived aboard speedboats at around 4 a.m. on Thursday night, according to the official National News Agency (ANI). They headed for a chalet in a building on the seafront and abducted an individual, before leaving again, ANI continued, quoting Batroun residents, without disclosing the identity of the abducted man.
A source close to the case in Batroun assured AFP that the kidnapped man was training at the Institute of Maritime Sciences and Technology (Marsati) and was in his thirties. He was staying in the Institute's accommodation at the northern entrance to Batroun.
According to information relayed on social networks and picked up by Lebanese and pan-Arab media, a unit made up of around 25 soldiers landed in this coastal town in northern Lebanon to kidnap Amhaz.
Questioned on the issue, caretaker Minister of Transport, Ali Hamiyeh, had neither denied nor confirmed this information, while a video was circulating on social networks, showing soldiers dragging a civilian with them, in an unspecified location. “We are awaiting confirmation from the army and security services,” he said.
Hezbollah has not commented on the matter either. Citing Hezbollah sources, Al-Hadath reported that Hezbollah had no cadres by the name of Imad Fadel Amhaz.
The Israeli media also picked up the story, citing al-Hadath. Only Yediot Aharonot quoted Israeli military sources. The Israeli army has not confirmed the operation either. Contacted by AFP's Jerusalem office, the Israeli army said it was “verifying” this information.
In addition, UNIFIL was due to issue a statement in the afternoon denying reports by media close to Hezbollah that the German Navy, which patrols Lebanese waters, had assisted the Israeli commando. “At no time was UNIFIL involved in any kidnapping or other violation of Lebanese law,” said Kandice Ardiel, deputy spokeswoman for the multinational force. She denounced “misleading and unfounded rumors and information that endanger the peacekeeping forces.”
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