Authorities reported that an unprecedented assault occurred in Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon, in which pagers carried by thousands of Hezbollah operatives exploded at approximately the same time.
The attack resulted in the injuries of over 2,700 Hezbollah members and the deaths of at least eight.
According to individuals with knowledge of the situation, the pagers that were affected were part of a recent shipment that the organization received.
Many combatants possessed such devices, according to a Hezbollah official, who speculated that malware may have been responsible for their explosion.
The official stated that a few individuals experienced the pagers heating up and disposed of them before they exploded.
Hezbollah reported that a number of pagers carried by its members detonated simultaneously at 3:30 p.m. local time.
The cause of the explosions, which were dispersed throughout the country in numerous regions where Hezbollah maintains a significant presence, was not immediately ascertained.
The assault was attributed to Israel by Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. Both claimed that civilians were slain, and Hezbollah issued a threat to respond.
The Israeli military declined to provide a response.
The ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was reported to have sustained an injury from his pager by Iranian state television. However, he was reported to be conscious and not in peril.
Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that has developed into one of the most well-armed nonstate militias in the world, is primarily supported by Iran.
The apparent assault occurs in the context of increasing apprehensions that the Lebanese border tensions are on the brink of escalating.
This is due to the fact that the daily exchange of cross-border fire is intensifying, and efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza have been unsuccessful.
The Israeli government is facing mounting pressure to suppress Hezbollah’s missiles and drones in order to facilitate the return of tens of thousands of evacuees to their northern homes.
On Monday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the only viable alternative to diplomacy was military action, as the prospects for diplomacy were diminishing.
Hezbollah acknowledged what it referred to as Israel’s “threatening speeches and comments” and declared that its forces were prepared to defend Lebanon to the utmost degree.
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