On the afternoon of September 17th, pagers used by thousands of people in Lebanon exploded simultaneously. As of yesterday, Lebanese authorities reported at least 12 deaths and over 2,800 injuries, including Iran's ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani.
Reuters reported that the communication devices that exploded on the afternoon of September 18 in Lebanon were handheld radios. Security sources and witnesses told the news agency that at least one of the explosions occurred near a funeral organized by Hezbollah for victims of the previous day's explosions. Initial reports indicated that a second wave of explosions injured hundreds and killed at least three people.
Casualties rise in Lebanon after a series of device explosions; Israel launches new phase of operation.
Shocking case
Hezbollah and its allies accused Israel of orchestrating the attack but did not provide details of the investigation. Meanwhile, Western media outlets unanimously reported that it was a coordinated operation by the Mossad intelligence agency and the Israeli military, possibly meticulously planned for months.
To avoid being tracked by Israel, Hezbollah has switched to communicating via pagers instead of other modern mobile devices, tools that the organization's leader Hassan Nasrallah described as "more dangerous than spies." Reuters, citing a senior security source in Lebanon, revealed that Hezbollah purchased 5,000 pagers from the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, which were delivered this year. These devices were distributed to Hezbollah members and allied forces.
Ambulances transport victims of the September 17 explosion to hospitals in Beirut.
Sources indicate that a circuit board and approximately 3 grams of explosives were planted next to the battery of the pagers. Upon receiving a signal, the device would vibrate, beep repeatedly, and then explode. Many victims sustained injuries to their faces and hands, reportedly while reading messages. Others suffered injuries to their hips, where the device was worn. Security analysts have dismissed the theory that a cyberattack caused the lithium batteries in the devices to overheat and explode. Taiwan's Economic Affairs Bureau stated that the devices used standard AAA batteries, according to Al-Jazeera.
The New York Times, citing US officials, reported that the devices were rigged with explosives before arriving in Lebanon. Xu Qingguang, the founder of Gold Apollo, stated yesterday that his company only holds the brand name and is not involved in the production of the AR-924 model mentioned in the explosions.
Gold Apollo issued a statement confirming that BAC Consulting KFT, based in Budapest, Hungary, is the manufacturer and seller of the device. "We only licensed the brand and are not involved in the design or manufacturing of this product," the Taiwanese company stated.
After being called "less effective" by Israel, Hamas claims to have gained experience and new members.
War is imminent.
To date, Israel has not commented on the explosions in Lebanon, but this incident signals the looming threat of war between Hezbollah and Israel. Just the day before, the Israeli security cabinet agreed to add a target to the military campaign against Hamas: returning displaced people to their communities in northern Israel bordering Lebanon, an area that has suffered near-daily attacks by Hezbollah since late last year. In a meeting earlier this week with US President Joe Biden's senior advisor Amos Hochstein, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that time for diplomacy with Hezbollah had run out and only military action could bring the people of the north home.
According to CNN, if Israel was indeed behind the September 17th incident, it could be a harbinger of a larger attack to come, as creating chaos and confusion for the enemy before a major operation is strategically logical. Following the incident, Israeli military leaders held an emergency meeting to assess security, focusing on readiness for both offense and defense on all fronts.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had two consecutive phone calls with his Israeli counterpart that day, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated yesterday that Washington was not involved and had no prior knowledge of the events in Lebanon.
US Secretary of State visits the Middle East again.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt yesterday on a visit aimed at promoting a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and bilateral relations. According to AFP, this is the diplomat's tenth trip to the Middle East since the Hamas-Israel conflict erupted nearly a year ago. Blinken is not expected to visit Israel.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/loat-vu-no-cham-ngoi-chien-tranh-hezbollah-israel-185240918235722252.htm
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