What You Should Know About the Deadly Pager Blasts That Killed 9 in Lebanon
On Tuesday, September 17, a series of unprecedented explosions killed at least 9 people and wounded nearly 3,000 when pagers used by Hezbollah members, including fighters and medics, detonated across Lebanon.
Hezbollah, an anti-Israel Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group, blamed the coordinated pager explosions on Israel. The explosions came 24 hours after the Israeli cabinet concluded plans to return its residents displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks in northern Israel to their homes.
“The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon will continue today, as in all the past days, its blessed operations to support Gaza, its people, and its resistance, and to defend Lebanon, its people, and its sovereignty.
This path is continuous and separate from the difficult reckoning that the criminal enemy must await for its massacre on Tuesday that it committed against our people, our families, and our mujahideen in Lebanon. This is another reckoning that will come, God willing,” Hezbollah stated.
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What is a Pager and How Was it Weaponized?
Pagers are small, handheld communication devices primarily used to receive and display messages or alerts. These devices, while seemingly outdated in the era of smartphones, are still favored by certain groups, especially in regions where mobile phone coverage can be unreliable or where discretion is necessary.
For Hezbollah, which has a strong anti-Israel militant wing, pagers have remained a key tool for communication among its members, particularly in covert or combat-related activities.
According to findings by the New York Times, Israel hid explosives inside a new batch of pagers that Hezbollah had ordered from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo. With an embedded switch, the armed pagers were detonated remotely.
Timeline and Locations of the Explosions in Lebanon
The explosions occurred on Tuesday afternoon, starting around 3:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT) in Lebanon. The areas hit were primarily Hezbollah strongholds, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, and the Bekaa Valley in the east.
What Caused the Pager Blast?
Initial reports suggest that the explosions were triggered after the pagers of Hezbollah members rang.
Footage examined by Neusroom on social media shows that the explosions appeared contained and targeted, affecting primarily the person wearing the pager or those immediately nearby.
Some of the detonations occurred after the fighters attempted to check their pagers, lifting the devices to their faces or placing their hands on them. This action inadvertently caused the pagers to explode, resulting in gruesome injuries and fatalities.
Despite the significant number of casualties, the explosions did not cause widespread structural damage or start any fires in the vicinity.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has long been a significant player in Lebanon’s political and military landscape. The group operates with a strong anti-Israel agenda and has developed a robust network of fighters, intelligence operatives, and medics across Lebanon, particularly in regions like Dahiyeh and the Bekaa Valley.
The pager explosions have not only caused immediate casualties but are also expected to escalate tensions in the region.
“What happened yesterday will increase our determination and resolve to continue on the path of jihad and resistance, and we are absolutely certain of God Almighty’s promise of victory to the faithful, patient mujahideen, God willing,” the group said.
