Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager blast
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The news: Pagers used by Hezbollah members to communicate exploded almost simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least 9 people and wounding about 2,750 others, including Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, The Associated Press reported, citing officials.
Hezbollah blamed Israel for what they called a deliberate attack, threatening retaliation. The Israeli military declined to respond to AP’s questions.
The context: The explosions occurred in areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
The explosions occurred hours after Israel’s Shin Bet said it had prevented Hezbollah's attempt to assassinate a former senior Israeli security official with a remotely detonated explosive device.
The pagers were newly acquired, and of a new brand, after Hezbollah’s leader banned cell phones, fearing Israeli surveillance, the agency said.
What they said: Michael Horowitz, the head of intelligence at Le Beck International, based in the Middle East told The Wall Street Journal the operation likely involved “malware that caused the pagers’ batteries to overheat and explode or a charge placed in the devices and detonated remotely.”
The sources: The Associated Press , Reuters , The Wall Street Journal
