Hezbollah pager explosion attack latest: More blasts reported in Beirut and other Lebanon cities

Dozens wounded after pagers detonate in Lebanon, media and security officials say

More explosions have been heard in Beirut and other cities in Lebanon on Wednesday, with reports emerging that hand-held walkie-talkie devices have detonated.

At least one of the blasts reportedly took place near a funeral organized by Iran-backed Hezbollah for those killed the previous day when thousands of pagers used by the group exploded across the country.

Israel decided to blow up the pager devices carried by militia group Hezbollah earlier than planned over fears the operation would be discovered, US officials have said.

Twelve people including two children were killed and nearly 3,000 were wounded after the handheld devices simultaneously detonated across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday afternoon,

“It was a use it or lose it moment,” one US official told Axios about the reasoning Israel gave the Washington for the timing of the attack.

Meanwhile, a Lebanese security source claimed Israel’s spy agency Mossad planted explosives in thousands of the devices months before they exploded.

The same source claimed the beepers – believed to have been made by a Hungarian company with a licence to use Taiwan-based Gold Apollo’s brand – were modified “at the production level”.

The Iran-backed militant group has vowed to retaliate against Israel, whose military declined to comment on the blasts.

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State media report three deaths after second wave of explosions

Three people have been killed in the latest device blasts which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, Reuters cites the Lebanese state news agency as saying.

The deaths were reported from the Bekaa region, in the east of the country.

It follows a spree of pager explosions targeting the armed group Hezbollah, which killed 12 and injured 2,800.

Holly Evans18 September 2024 15:52

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Dozens wounded by latest explosions in Lebanon

Dozens of people have been wounded by the latest explosions in Lebanon, security sources have said.

Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, with one taking place at a funeral. A video circulating on social media appears to show the moment an explosion is heard amongst a crowd, with people heard screaming as they flee the area.

Nearly 3,000 people were injured by Tuesday’s pager explosions (EPA)

Holly Evans18 September 2024 15:47

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Hand-held radios reportedly explode in Lebanon

The communication devices that have exploded on Wednesday afternoon were handheld radios, Reuters has reported.

According to its sources, at least one of the blasts heard took place near a funeral organised by Hezbollah for those killed the previous day when thousands of pagers used by the group detonated across Lebanon.

Holly Evans18 September 2024 15:39

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Breaking: More explosions heard in Lebanon as walkie-talkies targeted

Communications devices used by Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah detonated late Wednesday afternoon across the country’s south and in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, a security source and a witness said.

A source in Hezbollah confirmed that walkie-talkies used by the group were being targeted. A senior security source said that the explosions were small in size, similar to yesterday’s attack, and said that security agencies would investigate the matter further.

Holly Evans18 September 2024 15:30

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