Pagers blasts in unison in Lebanon, Israel behind hacking ?

 

On Tuesday, Hezbollah described a series of explosions as the "biggest security breach" in its nearly year-long conflict with Israel. Thousands of encrypted pagers used by the group’s members detonated within an hour, injuring over 1,000 people, including Hezbollah fighters and medics.

A troubling video circulating on social media captures the moment a pager exploded at a vegetable market in Beirut. The CCTV footage, from the Lebanese capital, shows shoppers when a low-intensity blast occurs near a man buying vegetables. The man, believed to be in his late 40s or early 50s, falls to the ground from the blast's force as bystanders react in shock and some seek cover.

Reuters reports, citing a Hezbollah official, that the detonations began around 3:45 p.m. local time (1345 GMT) and were described as the largest security breach Hezbollah had experienced in its year-long conflict with Israel. The explosions lasted for about an hour.

Hezbollah later confirmed the deaths of at least three people: two fighters and a young girl. One of the fighters who died was the son of a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, sustained minor injuries from a pager explosion and is reported to be under observation in a hospital.

Another CCTV video shows a small handheld device exploding unexpectedly near a grocery store cashier. The pagers involved were the latest models used by Hezbollah. Many of the injured sustained severe wounds to their faces, eyes, and limbs and have been hospitalized. Lebanese internal security forces reported that the explosions impacted several wireless communication devices across Lebanon, particularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut.