Lebanon: Over 1,000 Hezbollah terrorists hurt by exploding pagers

The IDF declined to comment on the incident, which came just hours after the Israeli Cabinet added the return of citizens displaced from their homes in the north to the country’s war goals

Published Sep 17, 2024  •  2 minute read

An ambulance rushes wounded people to the American University of Beirut Medical Center, on Sept. 17, 2024, after explosions hit locations in several Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon amid ongoing cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists. Photo by ANWAR AMRO /AFP via Getty Images

(September 17, 2024 / JNS) — Hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists were wounded across Lebanon on Tuesday when their communication devices exploded, according to Lebanese reports, which cited “security sources” and eyewitnesses.

A Reuters journalist saw 10 terrorists bleeding from wounds in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiya, which is the main stronghold of Hezbollah. A security source told Qatar’s Al Jazeera that explosions occurred across Lebanon, not only in Beirut but also in the Beqaa Valley and the south.

Senior Hezbollah officials were said to have been wounded in the blasts. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also wounded in one of the explosions, Tehran’s semi-official Mehr outlet reported.

Unconfirmed reports in Arab media claimed explosions also occurred in Damascus, wounding at least four local Hezbollah terror operatives.

In its first official statement on the incident, Hezbollah announced that the pager explosions, “the causes of which are still unknown,” killed three of its members, while wounding a large number of others.

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Lebanese media affiliated with Hezbollah attributed the incident to the Israel Defense Forces, claiming the mysterious explosions were caused by a hack of the terrorist group’s internal communications networks.

The Wall Street Journal said the pagers were part of a new shipment that the terror group received in recent days. A Hezbollah official suggested that “malware” may have caused the pagers to heat up and explode.

Another Hezbollah terrorist official in Lebanon cited by Reuters called the alleged computer hack by Israel the “biggest security breach so far.”

The IDF declined to comment to JNS on the incident, which came just hours after the Israeli Cabinet added the return of citizens displaced from their homes in the north to the country’s war goals, bringing a potential major confrontation with Hezbollah closer to reality.

Lebanese army soldiers stand guard near a hospital (not pictured) in Beirut on September 17, 2024, after explosions hit locations in several Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon amid ongoing cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists. Photo by ANWAR AMRO /AFP via Getty Images

Iran-backed Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly daily since Oct. 8, firing thousands of rockets, missiles and drones. The attacks have so far killed more than 40 people and caused widespread damage. Tens of thousands of civilians remain internally displaced due to the violence.

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According to Israeli media reports, the heads of the country’s security agencies, including Mossad chief David Barnea, convened on Tuesday afternoon for “frantic” talks regarding the threat posed by Hezbollah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu barred ministers from giving interviews following the blasts, local reports said, adding that the premier was holding security talks in the ‘pit,’ the IDF’s underground command and control center in the Kirya military headquarters.

The Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command informed local authorities of a possible escalation on the border with Lebanon but stressed that there are currently no changes to instructions for citizens.

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