Brilio.net - A mysterious explosion involving a pager communication device rocked Lebanon on Tuesday (17/9/). This incident occurred when hundreds of members of Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group, used pagers that suddenly exploded simultaneously. So far, nine people have been reported dead, while around 3,000 others have been injured, including the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.
The explosion occurred at around 3:30 p.m. local time, when many people were out and about in public. Pagers in their hands or pockets suddenly heated up and exploded, causing panic in various locations such as shopping centers and markets.
Many of the victims suffered serious injuries, especially to the face, hands and stomach. Among the dead were an eight-year-old girl and the son of a Hezbollah lawmaker.
The blasts occurred in areas where the group is heavily supported, including Beiruts southern suburbs and the Beqaa region in eastern Lebanon, as well as Damascus, Syria, according to a Hezbollah official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Videos circulating on social media showed the moments before the blasts, as pagers began to heat up before exploding, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the scene.
Hezbollah and the Lebanese government were quick to blame Israel for the blast, alleging it was a sophisticated, long-range attack. The accusations are not surprising, given the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in recent months, especially after Hamas' October 2023 offensive that sparked conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The two sides have been shooting at each other on the Israel-Lebanon border, further straining relations. However, as usual, the Israeli military has declined to comment on the incident.
"We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression," Hezbollah said in an official statement.
The exact cause of the explosion is still unclear. Some analysts suspect that the radio network used by the pagers may have been hacked, triggering a chain reaction that led to the explosion.
According to Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute, it is possible that small explosives were hidden inside the pager batteries, which were then detonated remotely using advanced technology.
"Israel's spy agency Mossad may have infiltrated the supply chain that Hezbollah uses for these pagers," Lister said, referring to allegations that Israel was involved in sabotaging the communications devices.
Additionally, a data analyst named Ralph Baydoun also provided a similar view, highlighting that a pager system that is not connected to the internet could be modified to cause overheating and explosion.
"I think what happened was that every Hezbollah member who was at a certain level was attacked," Baydoun told Al Jazeera.
Hospitals in Lebanon are overwhelmed with thousands of injured, with many patients being treated in hospital parking lots. The critically injured have serious injuries to various parts of their bodies, and medical personnel are working with limited resources to deal with the emergency situation.
"In my entire life, I've never seen someone walking down the street... and then it explodes," Musa said.
Hospitals are overwhelmed with victims... The pagers/victims that exploded mostly belonged to various Heizbollah units/institutions. pic.twitter.com/WzqsLWDnEl
(@_MbakSri_) September 18, 2024
The investigation is ongoing, while the atmosphere in Lebanon remains tense. This incident has further exacerbated long-standing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, which is expected to trigger further escalation of the conflict in the region.