New walkie-talkie explosions shake Hezbollah strongholds, adding to pager blast chaos
In a troubling escalation of violence, walkie-talkies have reportedly exploded in several Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, just one day after a series of pager blasts across Lebanon resulted in nine fatalities and over 2,800 injuries. While the exact number of walkie-talkies that detonated remains unclear, authorities fear there may be casualties.
The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah announced that it launched rocket attacks on Israeli artillery positions, marking its first response since the pager explosions injured many of its members and raised concerns of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
According to sources, Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, is suspected of having planted explosives in the pagers used by Hezbollah, which were imported months prior to the blasts. This information comes from a senior Lebanese security official and another source who spoke to Reuters.
On Tuesday, the pager explosions not only claimed nine lives but also resulted in extensive injuries, with many victims suffering critical conditions. Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed that approximately 2,800 individuals were hurt, with injuries primarily affecting the face, hands, and stomach.
Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary condemned the explosions, labeling them as “Israeli aggression.” Hezbollah echoed this sentiment, vowing that Israel would face consequences for the incident. Additionally, reports indicated that Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was injured during the pager blasts.
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