Israel says Hezbollah operative captured in naval raid

The Israeli military said a senior Hezbollah operative was captured in a naval raid in the northern Lebanese town of Batroun on Friday.

An official said special forces had apprehended the individual and taken them back to Israeli territory, in what was described as a “special operation”.

Lebanon’s state news agency said an “unidentified military force” arrived on the beach at dawn, raided a nearby building, and captured one person before leaving by speedboat.

The raid has prompted anger from Lebanese authorities, with the office for Prime Minister Najib Mikati saying he had instructed the foreign ministry to submit a complaint to the UN Security Council.

The Israeli military gave limited details on the operation but said the unit involved was Shayetet 13, a marine commando unit specialising in sea-to-land incursions.

Batroun, a Christian town to the north of Beirut, has been relatively sheltered from Israeli military operations in Lebanon to date, which have focused on the country's south, the Bekaa valley in its east, and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

More than 2,200 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel launched a ground invasion of the country on September 30. The Israeli military says 38 soldiers have been killed in Lebanon during that time.