The international atmosphere has heated up due to the pager explosion in Lebanon. This attack is being linked to Israel. However, nothing has been said officially by Israel. Meanwhile, there are also reports that Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad had included small explosives in 5 thousand pagers. Statistics show that 9 people, including some members of Hezbollah, have died in different parts of Lebanon. Also, about 9 thousand people have been injured.
According to a Reuters report, Lebanese security sources and other sources have said that Mossad had put small explosives in 5,000 pagers made in Taiwan. These pagers were ordered by Hezbollah a few months ago. The agency has written quoting sources that this incident was being planned for several months. After this incident, Hezbollah has warned of retaliation against Israel.
According to the report, a source connected to Lebanon security has said that the group had ordered 5 thousand beepers from Taiwanese company Gold Apollo. It is reported that these reached Lebanon this year itself. The pager model AP924 can send and receive messages like other pagers, but calls cannot be made from it. Talking to the agency, two sources had earlier said that Hezbollah fighters used pagers to avoid location tracking by Israel.
Sources say that 3,000 pagers exploded after receiving a coded message. Another security source told Reuters that the new pagers contained up to 3 grams of explosives, which Hezbollah did not detect for months.
A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that a new brand of handheld pagers used by the group overheated and then exploded. At least two Hezbollah members were killed and others were injured, the official said.
I was advised not to keep the phone
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah previously warned the group’s members against having cellphones, saying they could be used by Israel to monitor their movements and launch targeted attacks. Lebanon’s health ministry has told all hospitals admitting emergency patients to be on alert and those with pagers to distance themselves from them. The ministry has also told health workers to avoid using wireless devices.
