At least nine people were killed and almost 2,750 people, including Iran’s ambassador, were injured in Beirut’s suburbs and other parts of Lebanon, and in some parts of Syria, after their handheld pagers exploded today (September 17, 2024). At least 200 of them are critically wounded.
Hezbollah, in a statement, blamed Israel for the explosions and said that it will get its “fair share of punishment”.
Earlier, Hezbollah confirmed at least two of its members and a girl were killed in the explosions. The group said in a statement that it was carrying out an investigation to determine the causes of the blasts.
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A senior military intelligence official and an official with a Lebanese group with knowledge of the situation, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said that pagers carried by Hezbollah members were detonated. The second official said it was believed to be an Israeli attack.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, close to the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, said on its Telegram channel that Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador in Lebanon, has a superficial injury and is under observation at a hospital.
Meanwhile, another semi-official Mehr news agency, also on its Telegram channel reported that Amani was wounded by a pager explosion.
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Photos and videos from Beirut’s southern suburbs circulating on social media and in local media showed people lying on the pavement with wounds on their hands or near their pants pockets.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah previously warned the group’s members not to carry cellphones, saying that they could be used by Israel to track their movements and to carry out targeted strikes.
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