Pager Explosions Injure Thousands in Lebanon and Syria - Several Killed

[JosephZ]

Thousands of people were injured Tuesday and several killed when their pagers exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon, officials said, with Hezbollah confirming some of its members were wounded and blaming the attack on Israel.

A child was among at least nine killed in the blasts, which injured around 2,800 people, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. At least 170 people are in a critical condition, he said, though the nature of the other injuries is unclear.

The extraordinary incident comes amid increased hostility between Hezbollah and Israel, and raises tensions in the region further. Both Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the explosions.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/17/middleeast/lebanon-hezbollah-pagers-explosions-intl/index.html

 

[JosephZ]

Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people – including an 8-year-old girl -- and wounding several thousand, officials said. They blamed Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack.

Among those wounded was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. The mysterious incident came amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have exchanged fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that sparked the war in Gaza.

The pagers that exploded had been newly acquired by Hezbollah after the group’s leader ordered members to stop using cell phones, warning they could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press the pagers were a new brand the group had not used before.

Experts said the pager explosions showed signs of being a long-planned operation – though the means were not immediately known. Investigators had no immediate word on how the pagers were detonated or if explosives had somehow been sneaked into each pager.

The images seen Tuesday showed signs of detonation, said Alex Plitsas, a weapons expert at the Atlantic Council. “A lithium ion battery fire is one thing, but I’ve never seen one explode like that. It looks like a small explosive charge,” Plitsas said.

That raises the possibility Israel was aware of a shipment of pagers heading to Hezbollah and managed to modify the pagers before delivery, he said.

Another possibility is an electronic pulse “that was sent from afar and burnt the devices and caused their explosion,” said Yehoshua Kalisky, a scientist and senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. “It is not some random action; it was deliberate and known.”

Hundreds wounded after pagers detonate across Lebanon, Syria

Experts said the pager explosions showed signs of being a long-planned operation

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

 

[chevyontheriver]

Thousands of people were injured Tuesday and several killed when their pagers exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon, officials said, with Hezbollah confirming some of its members were wounded and blaming the attack on Israel.

A child was among at least nine killed in the blasts, which injured around 2,800 people, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. At least 170 people are in a critical condition, he said, though the nature of the other injuries is unclear.

The extraordinary incident comes amid increased hostility between Hezbollah and Israel, and raises tensions in the region further. Both Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the explosions.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/17/middleeast/lebanon-hezbollah-pagers-explosions-intl/index.html

Hezbollah blames Israel. OK. Just how does Israel blow up Hezbollah pagers?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Hezbollah blames Israel. OK. Just how does Israel blow up Hezbollah pagers?

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[Goonie]

I was wondering the same thing.

By mossad being the ones supplying the pagers, or intercepting the shipment.

 

[JosephZ]

“Looking at the videos it seems like the explosion was way stronger than anything that could be potentially made by a regular [computing] chip,” said one former IDF agent, asking to remain anonymous because of their prior affiliation with Israel intelligence.

A more likely scenario, the agent said, is that devices were intercepted prior to delivery and outfitted with explosives and software that would detonate them when they received a trigger message. Cybersecurity researcher and former NSA analyst Patrick Wardle, now CEO of security firm DoubleYou, said it would not have been particularly difficult to do this.

“It’s basically putting a bomb into a device and connecting with a software-based trigger,” Wardle said, citing 2014 research that he’d carried out with another young hacker, showing Nest Dropcams could be made to explode at a facial recognition match with easily obtained explosive material and detonator chip. “This was in 2014… so if two kids could pull this off, imagine what a real intelligence agency could do.”

Did Israel Hack Hezbollah Pagers To Make Them Explode? Former Intel Agents Have A More Likely Explanation

Ex-IDF and NSA analysts told Forbes the attackers likely intercepted the devices, tampered with their software and turned them into explosives that can be detonated from anywhere.

www.forbes.com

 

[2PhiloVoid]

By mossad being the ones supplying the pagers, or intercepting the shipment.

Ahhhh, Ok. If that's true, then I can see how that could be the case. It makes some sense. Otherwise, I was thinking more like, "Is there some sort of micro-EMP tech that I've never heard about that can target specific pagers and make then go pooey?"

Thanks for the tip.

 

[chevyontheriver]

By mossad being the ones supplying the pagers, or intercepting the shipment.

So Hezbollah buys pagers from Mossad? Kinda dumb. I would more likely believe Hezbollah bought normal pagers and modified them themselves to blow up on command. Maybe Mossad found out the trigger text and triggered them. That maybe I could believe.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Ahhhh, Ok. If that's true, then I can see how that could be the case. It makes some sense. Otherwise, I was thinking more like, "Is there some sort of micro-EMP tech that I've never heard about that can target specific pagers and make then go pooey?"

If there is some micro-EMP that blows up pagers, would it also blow up cell phones? It's been about two decades since I used a pager. I used my cell phone today. Pooey!

 

[Goonie]

So Hezbollah buys pagers from Mossad? Kinda dumb. I would more likely believe Hezbollah bought normal pagers and modified them themselves to blow up on command. Maybe Mossad found out the trigger text and triggered them. That maybe I could believe.

That makes zero sense! More likely we are seeing the culmination of a long term mossad plan. Hezbollah would not buy pagers from mossad, but then how would they know? At a guess the seller was compromised by mossad, maybe the shipment intercepted and the exploding pagers put in thwre place.

 

[chevyontheriver]

That makes zero sense! More likely we are seeing the culmination of a long term mossad plan. Hezbollah would not buy pagers from mossad, but then how would they know? At a guess the seller was compromised by mossad, maybe the shipment intercepted and the exploding pagers put in thwre place.

It makes 'zero sense' for people that equip suicide bombers to make exploding pagers? OK.

 

[Goonie]

It makes 'zero sense' for people that equip suicide bombers to make exploding pagers? OK.

Yes zero sense, as these pagers clearly only contained enough explosive to seriously damage the holder.

 

[JosephZ]

American and other officials briefed on the operation said Israel was responsible for the attack and had executed it by hiding small amounts of explosive material in each pager within a new batch of pagers made in Taiwan and imported into Lebanon.

Witnesses reported smoke coming from people’s pockets, followed by small blasts that sounded like fireworks or gunshots. Amateur footage broadcast on Lebanese television showed chaotic scenes at hospitals, as wounded patients with mangled hands and mutilated faces sought treatment. Sirens blared throughout the city.

The U.N.’s special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said the death toll had risen to nine people killed. Hezbollah told The New York Times that six of the nine people were Hezbollah fighters. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said that a young girl was also among those killed and that more than 2,700 others were injured. Lebanon’s health minister, Dr. Firass Abiad, said many of the victims had injuries to their faces, particularly the eyes, as well as to their hands and stomachs. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amini, suffered injuries to his hand and face when a pager he was carrying exploded, according to Iranian state news media reports.

Hezbollah Vows to Retaliate Against Israel After Pagers Explode Across Lebanon: Live Updates

The attack killed nine people, including a young girl. Officials briefed on the operation say Israeli operatives planted explosives in pagers Hezbollah bought from a Taiwanese company. Israel declined to comment.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Yttrium]

I'm both impressed and horrified at the same time.

I don't think Iran is going to react well to this.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

That makes zero sense! More likely we are seeing the culmination of a long term mossad plan. Hezbollah would not buy pagers from mossad, but then how would they know? At a guess the seller was compromised by mossad, maybe the shipment intercepted and the exploding pagers put in thwre place.

or..........they did it to their own people to make it appear otherwise. But, who knows? I don't like conspiracy theories. Only conspiracy facts.

 

[chevyontheriver]

or..........they did it to their own people to make it appear otherwise. But, who knows? I don't like conspiracy theories. Only conspiracy facts.

And in this there are few facts. Only accusations and wild theories.

 

[Jamdoc]

Been following this story all day, this some James Bond, 007 stuff they got going on, and for as many explosions as took place there was little collateral damage, almost everyone hit was a Hezbollah member, the explosions small enough that people even just a few feet away from the explosion were unharmed (maybe ringing in their ear), and while a lot of Hezbollah members were injured or maimed taking them out of the equation as far as fighting against Israel for the next few weeks, months, maybe some permanently disabled.. relatively few deaths. 11 deaths out of thousands of explosions. Incredibly precise.

Seems like now would be the time for Israel to strike while communications are in disarray and many of their enemies laid up.

 

[Jamdoc]

Hezbollah blames Israel. OK. Just how does Israel blow up Hezbollah pagers?

intercepted the shipment, injected about 20g of an explosive around the battery, and then sent them off to be used by Hezbollah.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Thousands of people were injured Tuesday and several killed when their pagers exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon, officials said, with Hezbollah confirming some of its members were wounded and blaming the attack on Israel.

A child was among at least nine killed in the blasts, which injured around 2,800 people, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. At least 170 people are in a critical condition, he said, though the nature of the other injuries is unclear.

The extraordinary incident comes amid increased hostility between Hezbollah and Israel, and raises tensions in the region further. Both Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the explosions.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/17/middleeast/lebanon-hezbollah-pagers-explosions-intl/index.html

It is almost monstrous that Israel used their advanced defense communication technology in such a way. I have now lost all respect.

 

[chevyontheriver]

intercepted the shipment, injected about 20g of an explosive around the battery, and then sent them off to be used by Hezbollah.

Maybe. Somewhat implausible, but maybe. When you have the facts then let me know. As far as I'm concerned right now it's just Hezbollah blaming the usual suspect.