Image Credits - CNBCTV18
A series of coordinated explosions involving handheld pagers rocked Lebanon and parts of Syria on Tuesday, September 17, resulting in at least eight fatalities, including members of Hezbollah and a young girl. The explosions also caused injuries to over 2,750 people, including Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, who sustained minor wounds and is currently under medical care.
Reports from The Associated Press confirmed casualties in various parts of Lebanon, while Hezbollah members in Syria were also affected. The precise toll of the dead and wounded is still being assessed.
Social media posts have shown graphic images of individuals with injuries, particularly on their hands and near pockets where the pagers were stored. Iran’s Fars News Agency and Mehr News Agency corroborated the ambassador’s injuries, attributing them to the pager explosion.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry has instructed hospitals to brace for a surge of emergency cases and urged citizens to avoid using pagers. Healthcare workers were similarly advised to avoid wireless devices to prevent additional incidents. Hospitals, particularly in Hezbollah strongholds such as southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs, are struggling to manage the influx of casualties. In response, the National News Agency has issued an urgent call for blood donations.
Hezbollah officials have attributed the attack to Israeli forces, describing it as a “security operation.” They noted that the pagers involved contained lithium batteries, which may have overheated and exploded, causing the widespread damage. The attack comes amid heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, following nearly a year of sporadic clashes along the border, further intensified by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The situation remains tense as investigations continue into the full extent of the casualties and damage caused by the blasts.