Thousands Injured, At Least Nine Killed As Hezbollah Pagers Simultaneously Explode Across Lebanon [Video]

The Associated Press reports:

Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded near simultaneously in parts of Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people — including members of the militant group Hezbollah and a young girl — and wounding several thousand, officials said. They pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack.

Among those wounded was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. The mysterious incident came amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have exchanged fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that sparked the war in Gaza.

The pagers that exploded had been newly acquired by Hezbollah after the group’s leader ordered members to stop using cell phones, warning they could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press the pagers were a new brand the group had not used before.

CNN reports:

The Lebanese government has blamed Israel for Tuesday’s pager explosions, condemning the attack as “criminal Israeli aggression.”

Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the attack represents “criminal Israeli aggression, which constitutes a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a crime by all standards,” according to the state-run NNA news outlet.

Ziad Makary, the information minister, said in a news conference in Beirut that the Lebanese government has contacted the United Nations and the concerned countries “to hold them accountable for this continuing crime.”

The New York Times reports:

The wave of explosions left many people in Beirut in a state of confusion and shock. Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from people’s pockets, followed by a small blasts that sounded like fireworks or gunshots.

Amateur footage broadcast on Lebanese television showed chaotic scenes at hospitals, as wounded patients with mangled hands and burn injuries sought treatment. Sirens blared throughout the city as the day ended.

The son of a Hezbollah lawmaker, Ali Ammar, was among those killed in the blasts. Lebanon’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, visited Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday to pay condolences to the parliamentarian.

The cult is eagerly sharing gruesome videos.