New wave of explosions kills 1 and injures at least 100 more, according to initial report
A fresh wave of explosions tore through Lebanon on Wednesday, just one day after thousands of Hezbollah fighters were injured when their pagers simultaneously detonated as part of a sophisticated Israeli strike on the terror group. This time, it was their handheld radios that exploded.
The latest explosions killed at least 1 person and wounded 100 more, according to the New York Times. The attack set buildings ablaze across Beirut and other areas, with the country’s Red Cross organization dispatching at least 30 ambulances to deal with “multiple explosions” in several locations. Photos and videos posted to social media showed explosions in real time and depicted the aftermath.
The strike targeted Hezbollah’s handheld radios and other low-tech devices the terror group relies on to communicate. Hezbollah has been using pagers, walkie talkies, and other similar devices to evade Israeli intelligence.
A #Hezbollah walkie talkie explodes at a funeral today in #Lebanon after yesterday’s exploding Hezbollah pagers. pic.twitter.com/b8TIfUUBKq
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) September 18, 2024
BREAKING
Lebanese and Islamic Republic media are reporting a wave of additional Hezbollah communication devices exploding in Southern Beirut.
This time it’s two-way radios and reportedly some mobile phones. pic.twitter.com/0mHCJa4JlD
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) September 18, 2024
BREAKING 🚨🚨
It appears a second wave of Hezbollah communication devices exploding all over Beirut. pic.twitter.com/AtxaZRsl5b
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 18, 2024
The coordinated attack suggests Israel still has control over Hezbollah’s communications and logistics networks, even after the terror group scrambled to disrupt the operation in the wake of the initial Tuesday strike, which killed at least 12 people and injured around 2,800 more. Israel reportedly hid tiny explosives inside a batch of pagers imported into Lebanon.
“The explosive material, as little as one to two ounces, was implanted next to the battery in each pager,” the New York Times reported. “At 3:30 p.m. in Lebanon, the pagers received a message that appeared as though it was coming from Hezbollah’s leadership” but instead “activated the explosives.”
The attacks came in the wake of a Monday visit to Israel from senior White House adviser Amos Hochstein, who urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to avoid an all-out war with Hezbollah. National security experts told the Washington Free Beacon that the pager attack shows Israel “is trying to make it clear to Hezbollah and Iran that it does not fear escalation.”
“Hezbollah will respond, but this attack will make them realize they are more vulnerable than they think,” said Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow and former U.S. Envoy to Iran Elliott Abrams.
This article was originally published at freebeacon.com
