Lebanon believes former senior security officer Ahmad Shukr, who is suspected of having been involved in the disappearance of IAF officer Ron Arad, has been kidnapped by Israel, London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Tuesday. It cited a prominent Lebanese judicial source.
Shukr was reported as missing a week ago following an alleged “intelligence-based entrapment operation,” the report said.
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) declined to respond to a Jerusalem Post request for comment and referred the issue to the IDF. The Mossad also declined to respond to a request for comment.
Missing for 39 years
Arad was captured on October 16, 1986, after a bomb his plane dropped caused damage to the aircraft, forcing him and the plane’s pilot to bail out. The pilot was saved, but Arad was taken by the Lebanese Shi’ite group Amal and later transferred to Iranian forces.
Arad sent three letters from captivity, and two photos of him were released. Israel lost track of Arad in 1988.
There have been several Israeli operations to get more information about his fate, including the capture of Hezbollah members and an offer of a $10 million reward.
A joint report in 2016 by the Mossad and the IDF determined that Arad had likely died in 1988.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.