Exploding Pagers: Death Toll Reaches Nine
- Injures Hundreds In Lebanon
Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firass Abiad, has confirmed that nine people are now dead in a series of explosions that targeted pagers across the country.
Al Jazeera quoted Abiad as saying that among those killed is an eight-year-old girl from Bekka Valley while at least 2,800 people have been wounded, with more than 200 in critical condition.
On his part, Lebanon’s Information Minister, Ziad Makary condemned what he called “Israeli aggression” in reference to the explosions of pagers across the country.
Makary’s quotes carried by Al Jazeera, said; “Lebanon’s main priority is putting an end to the Israeli attacks targeting our citizens’ lives and livelihoods. These crimes are the responsibility of the international community”.
Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, has described the developments in Lebanon as “extremely concerning”, noting the “extremely volatile” context.
“We deplore the civilian casualties that we have seen,” he said, adding: “We cannot underscore enough the risks of escalation in Lebanon and in the region.
Amid the confusion, a senior Hezbollah source told Reuters that the leader of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, was not harmed in the pager explosions.
Reacting to the incident, Hezbollah said Israel is ’fully responsible’ for the explosion of pagers on Tuesday, warning that Israel will receive a “just punishment”.
A statement by the group translated by AFP reads; “We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression.”
The Lebanese government sees Israel as responsible for the pager explosions and sees it as violation of Lebanese sovereignty, a Lebanese government spokesperson has reportedly said.
Earlier in the day, Health Minister Firass Abiad had disclosed that hundreds of people were injured across Lebanon when their pagers exploded with emerging reports indicating that some members of Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah were seriously wounded when the pagers used for their communication exploded
This is as a source close to Hezbollah told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that its members were targeted in the incident.
Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among those injured by the explosions, Iran’s Mehr news agency also reported.
Also reporting on the unfortunate development, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said Amani suffered a slight injury.
“Amani has a superficial injury and is currently under observation in a hospital,” Fars quoted a source as saying.
Hezbollah claimed that three people were killed in the pager explosions even as one official said detonation of the pagers in Lebanon is the ‘biggest security breach’ Hezbollah has faced since start of the war.
The Organisation listed the three people killed in a series of simultaneous detonations of pagers on Tuesday as two Hezbollah fighters and a girl.
In its initial official statement, Hezbollah did not directly accuse Israel of being behind the operation. According to Al Jazeera, the Organisation only said; “At approximately 3:30pm on Tuesday 09-17-2024, a number of message receiving devices known as ‘pagers’ exploded, which were owned by a number of workers in various Hezbollah units and institutions.
“These explosions, the causes of which are still unknown, led to the martyrdom of a girl and two brothers, and the injury of a large number of people with various injuries.
“The scenes we are seeing unfold in Israel and Gaza mark a new chapter in the Middle East conflict. The consequences and scale of losses are already devastating, and the recent attack – and the war that now follows – is likely to shape global politics for years to come.”
Seven Persons Die In Syria
In a related development, electronic pager devices also exploded in Syria, according to multiple reports.
Seven people were killed from the blast targeting their devices in the Damascus neighbourhood of Seyedah Zeinab, Saberin News, an outlet affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported.
A number of Hezbollah members arrived at hospitals in Damascus after their devices exploded, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Also, earlier in the day, Health Minister Firass Abiad had disclosed that hundreds of people were injured across Lebanon when their pagers exploded with emerging reports indicating that some members of Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah were seriously wounded when the pagers used for their communication exploded
