More deadly blasts reported in Lebanon a day after pager explosions killed 12 and injured thousands: How the attacks unfolded
More deadly explosions were reported in Lebanon on Wednesday, a day after thousands of pagers detonated almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria, killing at least a dozen people, including an 8-year-old girl, and wounding thousands of others in what appeared to be a coordinated attack against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel for the attacks. The Israeli military has not commented on the blasts.
Multiple news agencies reported that Wednesday’s explosions appeared to be targeting walkie-talkies and handheld radios used by Hezbollah. According to the Associated Press, at least 20 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in the latest wave of attacks.
The AP also reported that blasts were heard at the funeral of three Hezbollah members and a child killed by exploding pagers the day before.
What happened on Tuesday?
Around 3:30 p.m., pagers started beeping on streets and sidewalks and inside cafés and grocery stores across Lebanon and Syria before heating up and exploding. Videos from closed-circuit television shared on social media showed several of the explosions.
Witnesses reported smoke coming from people’s pockets. Hospitals reported receiving patients with injuries to the eyes, hands and waist.
Who were the victims?
According to Lebanese officials, Tuesday’s attack killed at least 12 people and injured about 2,800 others. In Syria, at least 14 people were injured.
Per the AP, most of those hit were members or linked to members of Hezbollah. But it was not immediately clear if other civilians were among the victims.
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said two children, including an 8-year-old girl, were killed in the attacks. The New York Times reported Wednesday that Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amini, lost an eye in the attack.
Who was behind the explosions?
Reuters reported that Israel’s Mossad spy agency planted explosives inside 5,000 pagers that were imported by Hezbollah months ago. Israel has not officially commented on the attack.
According to the New York Times, “the explosive material, as little as one or two ounces, was inserted next to the battery in each pager.”
Who manufactured the pagers?
Multiple reports indicated that Hezbollah had ordered the pagers from a company in Taiwan called Gold Apollo. But Gold Apollo said in a statement that the pagers used in Tuesday’s attack were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, based in Budapest, Hungary, the AP reported.
The Times later reported that BAC Consulting was "part of an Israeli front" that included shell companies created to "mask the real identities of the people creating the pagers: Israeli intelligence officers."
Why is Hezbollah using pagers and walkie-talkies?
Hezbollah fighters have been using the low-tech devices instead of cellphones in an attempt to evade Israeli surveillance. In a speech earlier this year, Hassan Nasrallah, the militant group’s leader, encouraged members to break their cellphones or “lock them in an iron box.”
According to Reuters, the handheld radios were “purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, around the same time that the pagers were bought.”
The big picture
The attacks have renewed fears that mounting tensions between Israel and Hezbollah amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza could explode into a full-scale war of its own.
The Lebanese government condemned the pager attack as “criminal Israeli aggression,” and Hezbollah pledged to retaliate.
Tuesday’s attack came a day after Israeli leaders warned that they were considering stepping up their military campaign against Hezbollah, which backs Hamas. Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in cross-border clashes since the war in Gaza began.
Hours before the pager explosions, the Times reported that the Israeli military had accused Hezbollah of attempting to assassinate a retired senior member of Israel’s security services with an explosive device that could be remotely detonated.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said Wednesday that the United States was not involved in the attacks "in any way," and that it's "too soon to know" what effect they will have on ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
