Civil Protection first-responders carry a wounded man whose handheld pager exploded at al-Zahraa hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sep. 17, 2024.
Hussein Malla/AP
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Hussein Malla/AP
Scores of fighters from the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah had been severely injured on Tuesday, when the pagers they used for communications unexpectedly exploded.
In what seems to be a widespread assault on a part of the militant group’s communications system, the explosions passed off in Beirut’s southern suburbs the place Hezbollah has places of work and within the south of the nation.
The group has been buying and selling cross-border assaults with Israel because the begin of the warfare in Gaza final 12 months.
On Tuesday, Lebanon’s public well being ministry directed hospitals within the nation to arrange for mass casualties and warned anybody with a pager to right away throw it away.
The authorities additionally known as for all well being employees to report for obligation, for folks to donate blood and for all residents with comparable gadgets to not use them till “the situation is fully understood.”
One video posted on social media confirmed a person falling to the bottom injured in a vegetable market after a loud bang.
It’s unclear what has led to this collection of explosions. Citing safety sources, Reuters information company reported that pagers that detonated had been the newest mannequin introduced in by Hezbollah in latest months.
Nobody has but claimed duty.
This can be a creating story. We’ll give updates on the scenario as we study extra.
