Hezbollah chief Nasrallah not harmed in the blasts, the group says; Hezbollah official says it was the “biggest security breach” the group had suffered in nearly a year of war with Israel
Updated – September 17, 2024 11:04 pm IST
An ambulance arrives at a hospital as more than 1,000 people, including Hezbollah fighters and medics, were wounded on September 17, 2024, when the pagers they use to communicate exploded across Lebanon, according to a security source, in Beirut, Lebanon. | Photo Credit: Reuters
At least eight people were killed and almost 2,750 people, including Iran’s ambassador, were injured in Beirut’s suburbs and other parts of Lebanon, and in some parts of Syria, after their handheld pagers exploded today (September 17, 2024). At least 200 of them are critically wounded.
Hezbollah, in a statement, blamed Israel for the explosions and said that it will get its “fair share of punishment”.
Earlier, Hezbollah confirmed at least two of its members and a girl were killed in the explosions. The group said in a statement that it was carrying out an investigation to determine the causes of the blasts.
Also Read: Exploding pagers injure hundreds in Lebanon: Health Minister
A senior military intelligence official and an official with a Lebanese group with knowledge of the situation, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said that pagers carried by Hezbollah members were detonated. The second official said it was believed to be an Israeli attack.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, close to the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, said on its Telegram channel that Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador in Lebanon, has a superficial injury and is under observation at a hospital.
Meanwhile, another semi-official Mehr news agency, also on its Telegram channel reported that Amani was wounded by a pager explosion.
Also Read: Hezbollah goes old-school to counter Israel’s modern surveillance methods
Photos and videos from Beirut’s southern suburbs circulating on social media and in local media showed people lying on the pavement with wounds on their hands or near their pants pockets.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah previously warned the group’s members not to carry cellphones, saying that they could be used by Israel to track their movements and to carry out targeted strikes.
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Dozens wounded after pagers detonate in Lebanon, media and security officials say
Dozens of people, including Iran’s ambassador, were wounded in Beirut’s suburbs and other parts of Lebanon after their handheld pagers exploded Tuesday, according to media reports and security officials. It wasn’t immediately clear if people were killed.
A senior military intelligence official and an official with a Lebanese group with knowledge of the situation, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said that pagers carried by Hezbollah members were detonated. The second official said it was believed to be an Israeli attack.
Photos and videos from Beirut’s southern suburbs circulating on social media and in local media showed people lying on the pavement with wounds on their hands or near their pants pockets.
A Hezbollah official said that at least 150 people, including members of the group, were wounded in different parts of Lebanon when the pagers they were carrying exploded. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the explosions were the result of “a security operation that targeted the devices.”
– AP
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September 17, 2024 22:51
‘Reckless’, ‘indistinguishable from terrorism’: Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower who fled to Russia, calls the attack “reckless” and “indistinguishable from terrorism”.
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September 17, 2024 22:34
War monitor says 14 wounded in Syria in Hezbollah pager blasts
Fourteen people were wounded in Syria when pagers used by Hezbollah exploded, a Britain-based war monitor said, adding to a toll of at least eight dead and 2,750 wounded in Lebanon.
“Fourteen people whose nationalities are unknown have been wounded in Damascus and its countryside after pagers used by Hezbollah exploded,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that some of its members had been wounded in pager blasts in neighbouring Syria, without specifying how many.
– AFP
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September 17, 2024 22:19
U.N. concerned by Lebanon developments, especially given ‘volatile’ context
Developments in Lebanon are extremely concerning, especially given the “extremely volatile” context, said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric today, adding that the U.N. deplores any civilian casualties.
– Reuters
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September 17, 2024 21:54
Hezbollah chief Nasrallah not harmed in blasts, group says
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was not harmed in the spree of pager blasts across Lebanon, a senior Hezbollah according to sources.
– Reuters
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September 17, 2024 21:34
Hezbollah blames Israel for attack
Lebanon’s Hezbollah blames Israel for pages exploding in Beirut and its suburbs. The group, in a statement, says Israel will its “fair punishment”.
– Reuters
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September 17, 2024 21:10
Lebanon says 8 killed, 2,750 wounded by exploding pagers
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said eight people were killed and some 2,750 wounded in pager explosions across the country, with Hezbollah earlier saying the pagers were used by its members.
The blasts “killed eight people, including a girl”, he told a televised press conference. “About 2,750 people were injured… more than 200 of them critically” with injuries mostly reported to the face, hands and stomach, he added.
– AFP
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September 17, 2024 21:08
Watch | What’s Hezbollah, and why is the militia permanently at war with Israel ?
Watch: What’s Hezbollah, and why is the militia permanently at war with Israel?
A look at the history of Hezbollah, the militia group from Lebanon
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September 17, 2024 21:05
Hezbollah goes old-school to counter Israel’s modern surveillance methods
Hezbollah goes old-school to counter Israel’s modern surveillance methods
Hezbollah adapts to evade Israeli surveillance with low-tech tactics, including coded messages and landline phones, amid escalating tensions.
Coded messages, landline phones, and pagers: following the killing of senior commanders in targeted Israeli airstrikes, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, has been using some low-tech strategies to try to evade its foe’s sophisticated surveillance technology, informed sources said.
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September 17, 2024 20:53
Hezbollah says 3 killed in Lebanon pager blasts
Sources closer to Hezbollah said that a son of a Hezbollah MP was killed in the Lebanon pager blast.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah says that three people have been killed so far in the ‘mysterious’ explosion. The group also said that it is investigating the blasts.
– AFP, Reuters
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September 17, 2024 20:47
Girl in Lebanon killed by exploding pager, family says
The 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member was killed in Lebanon’s east when his pager exploded today, her family and a source close to the group said. “A 10-year-old girl was martyred in the Bekaa Valley after her father’s pager exploded while he was next to her,” her relatives said. A source close to the group confirmed her death, the first to be reported after exploding paging devices injured hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon. – AFP
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September 17, 2024 20:46
Iran ambassador to Lebanon wounded in pager explosion: state media
Iran’s ambassador to Beirut was wounded in the pager explosion but his injuries were not serious, state media reported.
“Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani was injured in a pager explosion,” state television said, adding that his wounds were “superficial” and that he was “conscious and in no danger”.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
– AFP
Published – September 17, 2024 08:40 pm IST
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