Israel confirms special forces search in Lebanon for Ron Arad clues but finds no evidence

Israel has confirmed that special forces carried out an overnight operation in eastern Lebanon in an attempt to locate evidence related to missing Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad, but said the search yielded no findings connected to the decades-old case, Report informs via Ynet.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said the operation was conducted as part of ongoing activity in Lebanon after a "rare operational opportunity" emerged to search for clues related to the missing airman.

"As part of IDF activity in Lebanon, special forces operated overnight in an attempt to locate findings connected to the missing navigator," the military said. "No findings related to him were located at the search site."

The operation reportedly took place near the village of Nabi Sheet in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, close to the Syrian border.

Lebanese media earlier reported that four Israeli military helicopters entered the area from Syria and landed commando forces, sparking clashes with Hezbollah fighters.