Lebanese authorities have launched an investigation into the suspected attack by the Israeli navy in Beitun.

A group of armed men have hijacked a ship in northern Lebanon, prompting Lebanese authorities to investigate whether Israel was involved in the attack.

A man, identified by Lebanese state media as Imad Amhaz, was captured after the navy landed in the town of Batroun on Friday morning.

CCTV camera footage shared online by Lebanese journalists showed a group of armed men carrying away a man with his shirt over his head.

According to local media reports, more than 25 armed men landed in Batroun, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Beirut, and captured the man before returning to their boats and leaving the area.

Lebanon’s official news agency (NNA) said an “unknown military force” had “landed in the sea” on the coast of Batroun on Friday morning.

The NNA said the force “went to a chalet near the beach with all their weapons and equipment, kidnapped a Lebanese man… and left for the open sea on a speedboat.”

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

“This is northern Lebanon. This is not the southern suburbs or the border areas where we have seen Israeli troops on the ground. This is an unprecedented raid,” he said.

“This is a very serious incident. We haven’t seen an expulsion or kidnapping like this for a long time. This is something the Lebanese authorities will take seriously. They are already here on the ground.

Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, citing an unnamed Israeli source, claimed that Amhaz is allegedly a senior member of Hezbollah’s navy.

Lebanon’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamieh, was quoted by the country’s state-run news agency as saying Ahmez was a civilian naval officer.

He said the man was abducted just 100 meters (328 feet) from his home and questioned the validity of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which aims to end the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. It was supposed to be resolved, but why is it not being implemented?

“There is contact with UNIFIL because the Lebanese coast monitors it. UNIFIL’s mission is to periodically monitor the Lebanese coast from Naqura to Arida,” Hamih said of the UN peacekeeping force – which Israel has repeatedly attacked. in recent weeks.

Candice Ardell, spokeswoman for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, denied allegations by some local journalists that UN forces assisted the landing force in the operation.

“Misinformation and false rumors are irresponsible and put peacekeepers at risk,” Ardell said.

The rare overnight attack in northern Lebanon comes as the Israeli army continues to bombard areas across the country.

The airstrikes on Saturday afternoon targeted Nabatia, the Bekaa Valley and parts of it The ancient cities of Tire and Baalbek.

Hezbollah continued to fire rockets and drones at Israel. Israeli media reported on Saturday that 19 people were injured by a rocket in the central Israeli region of Tayyibi.