(MENAFN- Khaama Press) The New York Times, citing several informed officials, reported that Israel had planted explosives inside pagers that Hezbollah had ordered from the Taiwanese company“Gold Apollo.” According to the report, the explosives were hidden inside the pagers before they were shipped to Lebanon.
The New York Times further reported that Hezbollah had ordered more than three thousand pagers from the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo as part of this transaction.
Hezbollah distributed the three thousand pagers it purchased from this Taiwanese company among its members across different parts of Lebanon, and some of the pagers were also given to its allies in Iran and Syria.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported 9 deaths and 2,800 injuries as a result of explosions involving Hezbollah's communication equipment. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the explosions, stating,“We will avenge the enemy.” Israel's Channel 14 reported that from tonight, military and security focus will shift from the Gaza Strip to the northern front.
On Tuesday, 17th of September, more than a thousand people, including hundreds of Hezbollah members such as fighters and rescue workers, were injured in almost simultaneous explosions of pagers (communication devices) they were carrying in various cities across Lebanon.
The news agency, citing an unnamed Hezbollah official, wrote that the pager explosions were“the biggest security breach” the group has faced in nearly a year of conflict with Israel.
In Iran, the state news agency Mehr reported that the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon was injured in one of these pager explosions and added that Mojtaba Amani suffered“minor injuries.”
Some reports indicate that the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, suffered severe eye injuries in the Hezbollah pager explosions.
His wife confirmed his injury in a post on X, stating he was lightly wounded and is in good condition.
Three security sources informed Reuters that the pagers involved in the explosions were newly imported by Hezbollah into Lebanon last month. These devices were distributed among Hezbollah members.
Reports from southern Beirut revealed that ambulances rushed through crowds to transport the injured to medical centers. Similar incidents occurred in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah members were also injured.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health responded by urging all individuals to immediately distance themselves from pagers and placed hospitals on high alert. Explosions occurred around 3:45 PM on Tuesday in multiple cities, followed by another wave an hour later.
Hezbollah confirmed the explosions, resulting in the deaths of a child and two brothers, with many others injured. Israel has not commented on the incident, and military objectives have shifted towards halting Hezbollah's strikes on northern Israel.
The pager explosions have escalated tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, heightening concerns of a full-scale conflict, with both sides taking strategic measures to assert control.
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