Lebanon Pager Blasts: Hezbollah communicates through its own telecommunications system and has asked its members to avoid using mobile phones since the Gaza war began almost a year ago. The diktat was issued to avoid Israeli breaches of the technology.
Beirut: In a coordinated series of pager explosions across Lebanon, nine people have been killed and over 2,800 injured, with many in critical condition. The blasts targeted Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the US. Iranian state media reported that Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, was among the wounded.
The explosions occurred at approximately 3:30 pm local time (6 pm IST). Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed the casualty count in a televised statement, noting that “nine people, including a young girl, have been killed” and that “around 2,800 people were injured, with over 200 in critical condition.” Many of the injuries were concentrated on the victims’ faces, hands, and stomachs.
The 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member was among the victims in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley following the pager explosions. Additionally, an independent war monitor reported that fourteen people were injured by similar blasts in Syria.
Hezbollah, a political and military entity in Lebanon, is backed by Iran and has been banned by both the United States and the European Union. The group supports Hamas, which has been engaged in conflict with Israel since October 2023. According to sources cited by AFP, the sons of Hezbollah lawmakers Ali Ammar and Hassan Fadlallah were also among those killed.
There are conflicting reports regarding the cause of the explosions. Some claim that the blasts were triggered by lithium battery overheating due to an electronic signal breach, resembling a cyber attack. Others allege that a thin layer of explosives was placed inside the pagers before distribution. These reports remain unverified.
Hezbollah has accused Israel of orchestrating the attack, calling it the “biggest security breach” the group has faced. They assert that all the pagers exploded almost simultaneously, suggesting an “Israeli breach” of their communications network.
Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon have been struck in what is being called an “Israeli breach,” marking the most significant incident since the group began exchanging fire with Israel in support of Hamas, which has been at war with Israel in Gaza since the October 7 attack on Israeli civilians.
The explosions extended beyond Lebanon, with four people injured in Syria when a pager detonated inside a vehicle in Damascus.
“Dozens of Hezbollah members were wounded in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs as their pagers exploded,” an anonymous source close to Hezbollah told AFP.
Lebanon’s National News Agency described the event as “an unprecedented enemy security incident,” noting that handheld pagers exploded nearly simultaneously across the country.
Hezbollah, which operates its own telecommunications network, had advised its members to avoid using mobile phones since the Gaza conflict began nearly a year ago, aiming to prevent Israeli breaches of their communication systems, according to AFP.
HEZBOLLAH BLAMES ISRAEL IN STATEMENT
Hezbollah put out a statement shortly after the pager explosions saying that at “Around 3:30 pm (local time) on Tuesday, several pager devices used by Hezbollah members and officials of various institutions exploded.”
“Israel is fully responsible for the pager blasts,” Hezbollah said.
The statement further read, “A girl and her two brothers” were killed in the incident, while many others were injured.
“The relevant authorities in Hezbollah are currently conducting extensive security and scientific investigations to find the reasons for these simultaneous explosions,” it added.
The statement urged people to be “cautious of rumors and misinformation spread by certain parties, as this may serve the psychological warfare” by Israel.
Israel has not yet responded to these claims made by Hezbollah or Iran.
WHAT IS A PAGER? HOW DOES IT WORK?
A pager is a small, wireless device used primarily for receiving short messages or notifications. It was widely used before mobile phones became prevalent, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, to alert people of incoming messages or events.
Here’s how it works:
How a Pager Works:
1. Message Transmission: A sender (typically from a phone or a messaging system) sends a message to the pager via a paging service. The message is transmitted through radio waves.
2. Pager Reception: The pager, equipped with a radio receiver, picks up the signal transmitted by the paging network. This signal contains the message and the identification code of the specific pager the message is intended for.
3. Notification: Once the pager receives the message, it alerts the user through a beep, vibration, or visual display. Early pagers would only beep, while more advanced models could display text messages on a small screen.
4. Types of Pagers:
– One-way pagers: Can only receive messages.
– Two-way pagers: Can both send and receive messages, though their messaging capabilities are limited compared to modern mobile devices.
Use Cases:
-Emergency and Medical Personnel: Pagers are still in use today in hospitals and emergency services because they rely on a dedicated network, ensuring they work even when cell phone networks are down or overloaded.
-Remote Areas: In areas with poor cellular coverage, pagers can be more reliable because they use radio signals, which travel farther than mobile networks.
Though they have been largely replaced by smartphones, pagers are still favored in some industries for their reliability in emergencies.
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