Surgeons in Lebanon said that around 3,000 people were injured when pagers exploded in an Israeli attack on Hezbollah members.
EXPLOSION AFTER ENCRYPTED MESSAGE
Pagers thought to have been decoyed by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency before being handed over earlier this year exploded yesterday after receiving an encrypted message.
MADE A SOUND BEFORE EXPLOSION, INCREASED DAMAGE
The devices, which vibrate and beep for several seconds before exploding, were designed by an attacker to ensure the device’s owner was held in a position to cause maximum damage, according to experts.
IT WAS THE LONGEST DAY FOR DOCTORS
Dozens of people suffered serious facial injuries, with doctors describing how victims’ eyeballs were forced out. Others had their hands cut off or had gaping wounds on their abdomens from concealing pagers in their hips.
“I’VE NEVER HAD TO PUT OUT SO MUCH EYES”
Professor Elias Warrak, an ophthalmologist at the Lebanese University Hospital in Beirut, told the BBC that he had never had to remove so many eyes in his 25-year career, describing the experience as a “nightmare”.
COULDN’T REACH THE PATIENTS
‘Most of the patients were young men in their twenties and in some cases I had to remove both eyes,’ the doctor said, adding that he operated until 4am on Wednesday morning and still had a large number of patients to treat when he returned a few hours later.
TWO CHILDREN, 8 AND 11 YEARS OLD
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad confirmed that at least 12 people died, including at least two children: an eight-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy.