A second wave of mysterious explosions of communications devices rocked Lebanon on Wednesday. Explosions occurred during the funeral of the son of Hezbollah parliament member Ali Ammar, who was killed during the massive pager explosions that took place in Lebanon on Tuesday. According to unverified reports in the Arab media, hundreds of devices exploded, including radios and walkie-talkies that the organization had switched to in the wake of Tuesday's wave of explosions, which killed more than 10 and injured thousands, including hundreds who were severely wounded.
لحظة انفجار جهاز لاسلكي أثناء تشييع في الضاحية الجنوبية pic.twitter.com/jNYyKHhzDq
— Al Jadeed News (@ALJADEEDNEWS) September 18, 2024
Video: Lebanon's second wave of communication devices' explosions / Credit social media
According to a Saudi report on Wednesday, hundreds of devices detonated simultaneously just after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, with initial reports suggesting more than 100 people were affected. Later it was confirmed by authorities that 14 had been killed and almost 500 were injured.
It was unclear if Hezbollah operatives were the majority of the casualties like in the previous wave. The reports said that it happened in various locations, including cars and apartments, both in the Hezbollah Dahie stronghold in the capital Beirut, as well as in the souther part of the country, where the Shiite group is dominant. These areas include Sidon, and Tyre, as well as Nabatiyeh, all towns that are considered bastions of Hezbollah.
The pagers on Tuesday were reportedly ordered by Hezbollah from Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese manufacturer. The shipment primarily consisted of the company's AP924 model, along with three other Gold Apollo models. The Taiwanese company has flatly denied this, saying it has just given permission to put its logo on devices assembled by a Hungarian manufacturer, although it was not clear if the Budapest-based BAC company is indeed a real company.
According to anonymous officials who spoke to The New York Times, each pager was tampered with before reaching Lebanon. Explosive material weighing between one to two ounces was implanted next to the battery in each device, along with a remotely triggered switch designed to detonate the explosives.
A security source from Reuters news agency confirmed that these were communication devices of Hezbollah members, which the terrorists switched to following the attack on the pagers. Meanwhile, Reuters reported at least one explosion heard in the southern suburbs of Beirut, and that ambulances were heard.
The Lebanese news agency reported an explosion of a solar system in several houses in southern Lebanon. According to reports, there are explosions of lithium batteries in homes, in addition to other devices across the country.
Video: Buildings on fire after the explosions on Sept. 19, 2024
The French news agency AFP reported from a source close to Hezbollah that the explosions of communication devices in Lebanon occurred in Beirut, and in various areas in the east and south of the country, including in Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley and in Sidon. At the same time, sources told a news site associated with the Syrian opposition, that "the Syrian regime issued a notice to all security agencies and military units to turn off wireless devices, disconnect switchboards and use wired communication."
