Pagers belonging to Hezbollah members have exploded in Lebanon, killing at least eight people. The movement accuses Israel of being the perpetrator of this “criminal aggression”.
At least eight people have been killed and nearly 2,750 injured in Beirut and the south of the country. Lebanonthis Tuesday, September 17. The cause: the explosion of their pagers. Two hundred people are said to be in critical condition, declared the Lebanese Minister of Health Firass Abiad. Most of the victims were injured “in the face, hand, stomach, and even eyes,” he added. A “large number” of members of the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah were hit in these explosions, indicated a source close to the movement, detailing ReleaseThe Iranian ambassador to Lebanon is among the injured.
These beepers are small boxes that can receive messages, sound alerts or telephone numbers using a radio frequency of their own. Used extensively in the 1980s, details the newspaperthey have been supplanted by the democratization of the mobile phone. They have been a preferred means of communication for Hezbollah for several months, due to tensions with Israel, to avoid any attempt at espionage.
Pagers “hacked at source”
They finally turned into real bombs on Tuesday. According to a source close to the movement, the beepers that exploded simultaneously “concern a shipment recently imported by Hezbollah of 1,000 devices”, which appear to have been “hacked at the source”, reports AFP, quoted in The Figaro. Among the victims is a ten-year-old girl, hit by her father’s pager, a member of Hezbollah. Fourteen wounded members of Hezbollah have also been recorded in Syria, according to Release.
According to Sky News Arabia, Israel managed to hack Hezbollah’s communications network in order to blow up their paging systems. However, no confirmation has been released. Hezbollah has already blamed the attack on Israel, as has the Lebanese government. The movement is threatening Israel, saying that the country will “receive its just punishment” following this “criminal aggression.”