Categories: Trending now

Hezbollah accuses Israel as thousands hurt in unusual pager blasts : NPR

2024-09-18 00:55:05

Civil Defense first-responders carry a wounded man whose handheld pager exploded at al-Zahraa hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sep. 17, 2024.

Hussein Malla/AP


hide caption

toggle caption

Hussein Malla/AP

At least 8 people have been killed and 2,750 injured — 200 of them critically — by exploding pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday, according to the country’s health minister.

The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said the pagers belonged to the group’s officials and blamed Israel for orchestrating what appeared to be an unusual synchronized attack on Hezbollah’s communications system. It added that hundreds of fighters had such devices.

The attack raises fears of an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, and comes following warnings from Israeli officials of possible military action against the Lebanese group. In a statement, Hezbollah said Israel will “undoubtedly face its just punishment for this sinful aggression.”

The explosions took place in Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah has offices and in the south of the country, where Hezbollah militants have been engaged in 11 months of cross-border fighting with Israel.

Hezbollah said two of its fighters and a girl have been killed in the series of explosions.

Israel has not publicly responded to Hezbollah’s accusation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are currently holding security consultations with other Israeli security officials, an Israeli official tells NPR. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with protocol.

The series of blasts occurred on Tuesday afternoon. Citing security sources, the Reuters news agency reported earlier that pagers that detonated were the latest model brought in by Hezbollah in recent months.

One video posted on social media showed a man falling to the ground injured in a vegetable market after a loud bang.

On Tuesday, Lebanon’s public health ministry directed hospitals in the country to prepare for mass casualties and warned anyone with a pager to immediately throw it away.

Lebanon’s health minister Firas Abiad said over 100 hospitals have been treating the wounded. Most of the injuries are face, hand, abdominal and eye wounds, he added.

The authorities also called on all health workers to report for duty, for people to donate blood and for all citizens with similar devices to not use them until “the situation is fully understood.”

News Today

Share
Published by
News Today

Recent Posts

Kareena Kapoor’s Next Untitled Film With Meghna Gulzar Gets Prithviraj Sukumaran On Board

Kareena Kapoor is working with Raazi director Meghna Gulzar for her next film. The project,…

2 weeks ago

Purdue basketball freshman Daniel Jacobsen injured vs Northern Kentucky

2024-11-09 15:00:03 WEST LAFAYETTE -- Daniel Jacobsen's second game in Purdue basketball's starting lineup lasted…

2 weeks ago

Rashida Jones honors dad Quincy Jones with heartfelt tribute: ‘He was love’

2024-11-09 14:50:03 Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in…

2 weeks ago

Nosferatu Screening at Apollo Theatre Shows Student Interest in Experimental Cinema – The Oberlin Review

2024-11-09 14:40:03 A silent German expressionist film about vampires accompanied by Radiohead’s music — what…

2 weeks ago

What Are Adaptogens? Find Out How These 3 Herbs May Help You Tackle Stress Head-On

Let's face it - life can be downright stressful! With everything moving at breakneck speed,…

2 weeks ago

The new Mac Mini takes a small step towards upgradeable storage

Apple’s redesigned Mac Mini M4 has ditched the previous M2 machine’s SSD that was soldered…

2 weeks ago