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Ambulances are surrounded by people at the entrance of the American University of Beirut Medical Center, on September 17, after explosions hit locations in several Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon. (AFP photo)
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said that some 2,800 people were also injured in the pager explosions, with more than 200 of them “critically” hurt
Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and parts of Syria on Tuesday, resulting in at least nine fatalities. Among the deceased were the son of a Hezbollah lawmaker and a 10-year-old daughter of the Iran-backed militant group member.
Additionally, Iranian state television reported that Tehran’s ambassador in Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, sustained “superficial” injuries in one of the explosions.
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said that some 2,800 people were also injured in the pager explosions, with more than 200 of them “critically” hurt.
Hezbollah blames Israel
Hezbollah has accused Israel of being behind the pager explosions.
“We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression,” the Iran-backed militant group said in a statement, adding that Israel “will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression”.
Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that the blasts from the group’s newly issued pagers resulted in the deaths of at least two members and a young girl.
“Pagers belonging to employees of various Hezbollah units and institutions exploded,” the group said, adding that the blasts “killed a girl and two of our brothers”.
A senior Hezbollah source also told Reuters that its chief, Hassan Nasrallah, was not injured in the explosions.
The group further stated that it is “conducting a wide-ranging security and scientific investigation” into the causes of the “simultaneous” explosions but did not mention Israel.
“We confirm that the resistance at all levels and various units is at the highest level of readiness to defend Lebanon and its steadfast people,” it said.
14 wounded in Syria
Fourteen people were also wounded in Syria on Tuesday when pagers used by Hezbollah exploded, according to a Britain-based war monitor.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that “fourteen people whose nationalities are unknown have been wounded in Damascus and its countryside after pagers used by Hezbollah exploded.”
‘Biggest Security Breach’
A Hezbollah official described the pager explosions, which struck several of the group’s strongholds across Lebanon, as the “biggest security breach” the organisation has encountered in nearly a year of conflict with Israel, as per news agency Reuters.
However, there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has been engaged in conflict with Hezbollah since the October 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that triggered the Gaza war, marking the worst escalation in years.
Israel has previously used booby-trapped cellphones to kill Hamas militants and is widely believed to have been behind the Stuxnet computer virus attack on Iran’s nuclear program in 2010.
(With inputs from agencies)
Read More: ‘Biggest Security Breach’: Hezbollah MP’s Son Among 9 Killed In Lebanon Pager Blasts Amid
