EGN NEWS DESK
(BEIRUT) — Dozens of individuals, together with Iran’s ambassador, have been wounded in Beirut’s suburbs and different components of Lebanon after their handheld pagers exploded Tuesday, in keeping with media reviews and safety officers. It wasn’t instantly clear if folks have been killed.
A senior army intelligence official and an official with a Lebanese group with data of the scenario, each of whom spoke on situation of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the scenario, mentioned that pagers carried by Hezbollah members have been detonated. The second official mentioned it was believed to be an Israeli assault.
The Associated Press reached out to the Israeli army, which declined to remark.
Iran’s semi-official Fars information company, near the nation’s highly effective Revolutionary Guard, mentioned on its Telegram channel that Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador in Lebanon, has a superficial damage and is underneath commentary at a hospital. Meanwhile, one other semi-official Mehr information company, additionally on its Telegram channel reported that Amani was wounded by a pager explosion.
Photos and movies from Beirut’s southern suburbs circulating on social media and in native media confirmed folks mendacity on the pavement with wounds on their fingers or close to their pants pockets.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah beforehand warned the group’s members to not carry cellphones, saying that they may very well be utilized by Israel to trace their actions and to hold out focused strikes.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry referred to as on all hospitals to be on alert to absorb emergency sufferers and for individuals who personal pagers to get away from them. It additionally requested well being staff to keep away from utilizing wi-fi units.
AP photographers at space hospitals mentioned the emergency rooms have been overloaded with sufferers, a lot of them with accidents to their limbs, some in critical situation.
The state-run National News Agency mentioned hospitals in southern Lebanon, the japanese Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs — all areas the place Hezbollah has a robust presence — had referred to as on folks to donate blood of all sorts.
The information company reported that in Beirut’s southern suburbs and different areas “the hand held pagers system was detonated utilizing superior expertise, and dozens of accidents have been reported.”
A Hezbollah official mentioned that not less than 150 folks, together with members of the group, have been wounded in several components of Lebanon when the pagers they have been carrying exploded. The official, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not licensed to talk to the media, mentioned the explosions have been the results of “a safety operation that focused the units.”
“The enemy (Israel) stands behind this safety incident,” the official mentioned, with out elaborating. He added that the brand new pagers that Hezbollah members have been carrying had lithium batteries that apparently exploded.
Lithium batteries, when overheated, can smoke, soften and even catch on fireplace. Rechargeable lithium batteries are utilized in client merchandise starting from cellphones and laptops to electrical automobiles. Lithium battery fires can burn as much as 590 C (1,100 F).
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been clashing near-daily for greater than 11 months towards the backdrop of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in Gaza.
The clashes have killed tons of in Lebanon and dozens in Israel and displaced tens of 1000’s on either side of the border. On Tuesday, Israel mentioned that halting Hezbollah’s assaults within the north to permit residents to return to their houses is now an official conflict purpose.
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Abby Sewell and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, and Josef Federman, in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.
