More than 1,000 people, including Hezbollah fighters and medics, were injured on Tuesday when communication pagers exploded across Lebanon, according to security sources cited by Reuters.
The sudden detonations, which occurred in several locations, mark a significant security breach for the Iran-backed militant group as it continues its conflict with Israel.
A Hezbollah official, speaking anonymously, described the incident as the “biggest security breach” the group has faced in nearly a year of fighting. Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in cross-border skirmishes since the war in Gaza escalated last October, resulting in the worst violence between the two sides in years.
Israel’s military declined to comment on the explosions when contacted by Reuters. Meanwhile, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was injured in one of the blasts, though Reuters was unable to immediately verify the claim.
The pagers that detonated were part of a recently introduced communication system used by Hezbollah, according to three security sources. The devices exploded in Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon, including Beirut’s southern suburbs and the south of the country, causing widespread panic.
A Reuters journalist witnessed ambulances rushing through Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah-controlled area, as injured people were transported to local hospitals. At Mt. Lebanon Hospital, another Reuters reporter observed motorcycles speeding to the emergency room, where wounded individuals, their hands bloodied, screamed in pain.
The Lebanese Internal Security Forces confirmed that several wireless communication devices had exploded, primarily in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The cause of the detonations remains unclear, but the widespread nature of the incident suggests a coordinated attack on Hezbollah’s communication infrastructure.
In the aftermath, groups of people gathered outside buildings, anxiously checking on friends and relatives who may have been affected. CCTV footage aired on regional broadcasters showed a small handheld device placed near a grocery store cashier spontaneously exploding while a customer was paying.
The explosions come amid heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, further destabilizing the region as both sides remain engaged in sporadic but deadly exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border.
