Hundreds of Hezbollah militants were seriously wounded or killed on Tuesday when the pagers they used for communication exploded around their belts and pockets. Officials allege that the blasts were triggered by a hacking attack from Israel. Hezbollah officials also confirmed the wide-range attack on its operatives, including fighters and medics.
One Hezbollah member, on conditions of anonymity, described it as the "largest security breach" since the group's daily attacks on Israel began on October 8. Social media videos show multiple incidents where men seemingly unaware of the danger had their devices detonate in their pockets, leaving the victims in pain while bystanders fled the scene or watched in horror.
Unexpected Attack
The series of sudden, unexpected explosions, which began around 3:45 p.m. local time and continued for about an hour, caused widespread panic and chaotic scenes throughout southern Lebanon and Beirut.
Social media images and footage broadcast by both Lebanese and Israeli media showed victims with severe injuries lying on the ground, surrounded by frightened onlookers.
One video captured a man shopping in a grocery store when his pocket suddenly exploded, sending debris from his pants as he collapsed to the floor.
In addition to Hezbollah operatives, Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was reportedly injured in the blasts, according to Tehran's Mehr news agency.
Hezbollah officials accused Israel of orchestrating the pager explosions. However, the Israeli military has not issued any statements regarding the incident.
"The enemy (Israel) stands behind this security incident," a Hezbollah official told the AP.
The devices that exploded were all latest models distributed to Hezbollah members in the past few months, and are suspected of having been tampered with, according to three security sources who spoke to Reuters.
Malware is believed to have caused the lithium batteries in the devices to overheat and explode.
A Hezbollah official told the Wall Street Journal that some members noticed their pagers heating up and discarded them just before they detonated.
Blast from Nowhere
Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, had earlier warned his fighters against carrying cell phones or pagers, warning they could be used to track their movements or facilitate targeted attacks.
The exact reason behind the pager explosions has yet to be determined.
Reuters journalists saw ambulances speeding through Beirut, transporting the injured militants, as widespread panic erupted over the blasts.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad stated that, as of Tuesday morning, no deaths had been reported, but he anticipates several casualties due to the large-scale attack.
Since Hezbollah began launching attacks in support of Hamas, Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging near-daily strikes across the border.
