Exploding pagers kill at least 9 in suspected Israeli attack on Hezbollah

BEIRUT - International media reports and security officials say detonating handheld pagers were responsible for killing at least 9 people – including an 8-year-old girl – and hurting thousands of people, including Iran's ambassador, in Beirut’s suburbs and other parts of Lebanon.

Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack that wounded more than 2,700 people at a time of rising tensions across the Lebanon border. The Israeli military declined to comment.

A senior military intelligence official and an official with a Lebanese group with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously, said that pagers carried by Hezbollah members were detonated. 

A Hezbollah 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."

The second official said it was believed to be an Israeli attack.

The Israeli military declined to comment to the Associated Press after the outlet requested a comment. 

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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.

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.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry called on all hospitals to be on alert to take in emergency patients and for people who own pagers to get away from them. It also asked health workers to avoid using wireless devices.

The state-run National News Agency said hospitals in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs — all areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence — had called on people to donate blood of all types.

The news agency reported that in Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas "the handheld pagers system was detonated using advanced technology, and dozens of injuries were reported."

"The enemy (Israel) stands behind this security incident," the official said, without elaborating. He added that the new pagers that Hezbollah members were carrying had lithium batteries that apparently exploded.

How could pagers explode?

A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press the pagers were a new brand, but declined to say how long they had been in use.

With little disclosed from investigators so far, multiple theories have emerged Tuesday around how the attack might have been carried out. Several experts who spoke with The Associated Press suggest that the explosions were likely the result of supply-chain interference.

Very small explosive devices may have been built into the pagers prior to their delivery to Hezbollah, and then all remotely triggered simultaneously, possibly with a radio signal, said Carlos Perez, director of security intelligence at TrustedSec. By the time of the attack, "more than likely the battery was probably half-explosive and half-actual battery."

Another possibility is that malware – outside software secretly introduced to the devices – caused the pagers to overheat.

Lithium batteries, when overheated, can smoke, melt and even catch on fire. Rechargeable lithium batteries are used in consumer products ranging from cellphones and laptops to electric cars. Lithium battery fires can burn up to 590 C (1,100 F).

Explaining the Lebanon-Israel conflict 

The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been clashing near-daily for more than 11 months against the backdrop of war between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in Gaza.

The clashes have killed hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border. On Tuesday, Israel said that halting Hezbollah’s attacks in the north to allow residents to return to their homes is now an official war goal.