KUALA LUMPUR – Pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and parts of Syria yesterday, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 2,800, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
The blasts, which Hezbollah has blamed on Israel, BBC reported, marked a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between the two sides. The explosions occurred primarily in Hezbollah strongholds such as southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.
Among the victims were Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar’s son and the 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member in the Bekaa Valley, a source close to the group told AFP.
Hospitals in Beirut, Saida and Tyre were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of casualties, reported Sputnik.
In a statement, Hezbollah has firmly accused Israel of orchestrating the “sophisticated remote operation”, labelling it a criminal aggression. The group vowed that Israel would “receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression.”
Israel has not officially commented on the explosions, and the US State Department also denied any prior knowledge of the incident.
“The United States was not aware of this incident in advance and was not involved,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, as quoted by AP.
The Lebanese government also placed the blame squarely on Israel. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack as a “serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a crime by all standards.”
Tehran’s ambassador to Beirut was also among the injured, although his injuries were reported as minor, according to Iranian state media.
Experts have suggested that the explosions were the result of a long-planned operation. Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute told AFP that the pagers were likely rigged with small explosives that could be remotely detonated.
“This was more than lithium batteries being forced into override,” he explained, adding that Israeli intelligence may have infiltrated the supply chain used by Hezbollah.
The timing of the blasts raised suspicions that they were part of a broader Israeli strategy to target Hezbollah, just hours after Israel announced it would expand its war aims to include fighting it along its border with Lebanon.
Since October, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged almost daily fire, displacing tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border.
A US official, speaking anonymously to AP, confirmed that Israel had briefed Washington on the operation after it had concluded, although no details were provided.
Analysts believe that the explosives may have been concealed within the devices during the manufacturing or distribution process. AP reported that Sean Moorhouse, a former British Army officer and explosive ordnance disposal expert, suggested that a small explosive charge, “as small as a pencil eraser”, was placed into the devices.
He believed they would have had to have been rigged prior to delivery, “very likely by Mossad”, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, he said.
The explosions are likely to exacerbate Hezbollah’s growing concerns about vulnerabilities in its communication networks. Earlier this year, the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, instructed members to stop using mobile phones, fearing they could be tracked by Israeli intelligence.
The reliance on pagers, which were considered more secure, now appears compromised, leading to new questions about the group’s operational security.
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert expressed concern over the incident and warned that it marks “an extremely concerning escalation in what is an already unacceptably volatile context.”
The attack comes at a time of heightened tension, with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza showing no signs of abating.
According to AFP, While Hezbollah’s deputy chief Naim Qassem had previously stated that it had “no intention of going to war,” he warned that “there will be large losses on both sides” if conflict breaks out.
The attacks have shocked Lebanon, with scenes of devastation reported across the country. Videos shared online showed people shopping, dining, or walking when the pagers they were carrying suddenly exploded.
One clip, shared by AP, showed a man in a grocery store whose pager detonated, leaving him sprawled on the floor as bystanders fled.
As the region braces for further escalation, Hezbollah’s warning that Israel “will certainly get its just retribution” has added to the growing fears of a wider conflict between the two long-standing adversaries.
The Israeli military declined to comment. – September 18, 2024