Explosions rocked Lebanon as hundreds of pagers linked to Hezbollah detonated, resulting in 12 fatalities and around 2,750 injuries. Similar incidents occurred in Syria, causing additional casualties.
Accusations have been hurled at Israel by Lebanon, Hezbollah, and their allies. The mystery surrounding the explosions centers on how Hezbollah acquired the pagers initially - a crucial detail that could shed light on potential tampering leading to the blasts.
Here’s a breakdown of what transpired and expert theories on the unfolding events:
What unfolded with the Hezbollah pagers in Lebanon?
Suddenly at approximately 3:30 pm (12:30 GMT), numerous pagers across Lebanon erupted into chaos.
In an official statement released by Hezbollah, it was confirmed that two fighters and a young girl lost their lives due to “pager explosions involving employees from various Hezbollah units and establishments.”
The group backed by Iran swiftly pointed fingers at Israel for orchestrating these incidents amidst escalating tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border since Israel’s Gaza conflict began.
Israel’s military has chosen silence regarding these events while Hezbollah vows retribution against them.
Sources revealed to Reuters that Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, planted explosives within 5,000 ordered pagers by Hezbollah months prior. A synchronized code was transmitted to 3,000 devices triggering catastrophic explosions.
How were the Hezbollah pagers triggered?
The exact method behind these pager detonations remains shrouded in mystery. Speculation suggests a potential hack into the radio system relied upon by these devices through manipulated coding. Overheating batteries may have initiated thermal runaway culminating in explosive battery reactions.
Original article available at www.aljazeera.com