Deadly Pager Explosions Rock Lebanon: Several Killed, 2700 Injured

Beirut, The Gulf Observer: At least nine people have been killed, and over 2,750 others, including Hezbollah militants and medics, were injured after their pager devices exploded across Lebanon, according to media reports and security officials.

A Hezbollah official, speaking anonymously to media, confirmed that members of the group were wounded in various locations in Lebanon and Syria when their handheld pagers detonated on Tuesday. The official accused Israel of orchestrating the explosions, describing it as the “biggest security breach” the group had experienced in nearly a year of conflict with Tel Aviv.

Among the casualties were two Hezbollah militants, one of whom was the son of a Hezbollah parliament member, according to two security sources reported by Reuters. Additionally, a 9-year-old girl, Fatima Jaafar Abdullah, daughter of a Hezbollah member, was killed in the Baalbek District of northeastern Lebanon, as confirmed by Lebanese media.

In a further development, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured in one of the explosions. State media reported that his injuries were not critical, and he was “conscious and in no danger.”

The Lebanese Health Ministry issued an urgent advisory, calling on all citizens in possession of pager communication devices to dispose of them immediately, citing safety concerns.

This incident marks the first of its kind since Israel and Hezbollah began exchanging near-daily fire following Tel Aviv’s military operations in Gaza, which began in October last year. The situation raises new concerns over the escalating conflict and the potential for further destabilization in the region.