Hundreds of people were wounded in Lebanon this afternoon when pagers used by Hezbollah fighters to communicate exploded, with at least three people confirmed dead.
The wave of sudden and unexpected detonations, which began around 3:45pm local time (1345 GMT) and lasted roughly an hour, maimed scores of Hezbollah members and civilians, giving way to widespread panic and chaotic scenes across southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut.
Victims were seen sporting significant wounds as they lay on the ground surrounded by terrified bystanders in images shared to social media and broadcast by Lebanese and Israeli networks.
Yet more harrowing clips taken inside Lebanese hospitals showed how some unfortunate victims sustained massive head injuries, gaping wounds in their legs and abdomen, or had their hands blown off by the powerful explosions.
At least two Hezbollah fighters – one of which is a son of an MP – and a 10-year-old girl were confirmed dead by multiple security sources and a family member, according to AFP.
Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured according to the Mehr news agency.
The shocking incident constitutes the single largest intelligence breach in the militant outfit’s history, an official said, with speculation mounting that the technology was somehow hacked or sabotaged by Israeli security services.
READ ALSO – Man who dressed up as Manchester Arena bomber, Salman Abedi, for Halloween FACES being sent to prison
One source close to Hezbollah told AFP the incident came as a direct result of an ‘Israeli breach’ of its communications.
A different official told AP on condition of anonymity that the cause of the explosions was likely the lithium batteries that power the pagers, which can catch on fire when overheated.
Israeli officials are yet to comment.
Earlier this year, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah urged members of his organisation to revert to using the pagers for vital communications, reasoning that modern smartphones would be more susceptible to cyber attacks by Israeli forces.
