Explosion of Hezbollah pagers in Lebanon kills Nine, injures over 2,800
The militant group, which suffered significant losses including the death of a key commander, has blamed Israel for the attack.
KATHMANDU: In Lebanon, at least nine people, including a child, have been killed, and over 2,800 others injured after handheld pagers used by Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah exploded.
The militant group, which suffered significant losses including the death of a key commander, has blamed Israel for the attack.
Hezbollah had previously expressed concerns about the security of its communication systems after the loss of its commander.
On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of paging communication devices carried by Hezbollah members began exploding across Lebanon.
Although Hezbollah immediately attributed the incident to Israeli aggression, Israel has yet to comment on the attack.
Casualty numbers are reportedly rising in several hospitals in Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Israel announced its intention to expand its military objectives against Palestinian militant group Hamas to secure the northern front with Lebanon. Following an October attack, Israel had vowed to bring home hostages taken by Palestinian militants and to suppress Hamas.
Since October, Hezbollah has engaged in near-daily clashes with Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border. Despite no formal declaration of war, the ongoing clashes have resulted in the deaths of hundreds, including fighters and military personnel.
According to sources close to Hezbollah, the pagers that exploded were recently imported by the group.
