Hezbollah has vowed to punish Israel after a deadly pager bomb attack that killed at least nine people and wounded more than 2,750 in Lebanon and Syria.
Israeli spies are accused of planting explosives in the handheld devices, which they then coordinated to detonate a series of explosives on Tuesday afternoon. It appears to have been a joint operation with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned “criminal Israeli aggression” and called the attack “a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty.” Hezbollah said Israel was “fully responsible” for the explosions and warned the nation would be punished.
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What implications will the attack have for the Middle East?
The incident comes as tensions between Lebanon and Israel are rising.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been clashing almost daily for more than 11 months against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Hezbollah’s ally Hamas in Gaza.
The fighting has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border.
On Tuesday, Israel announced that halting Hezbollah’s attacks in the north so residents can return to their homes is now an official war objective.
Israel has killed Hamas militants in the past using booby-trapped mobile phones and is widely believed to have been responsible for the Stuxnet virus attack on Iran’s nuclear program in 2010.
What did Hezbollah say after the attack?
Both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have squarely blamed Israel for the attack. While Israel has yet to comment on the matter, allies including the United States have tried to distance themselves from the attack.
Hezbollah said in a statement:
“We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression,” adding that Israel “will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression.”
In a second statement, the terrorist group added
After examining all the facts, current data and available information about the sinful attack that took place this afternoon, we consider the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression, which also targeted civilians.
Prominent Hezbollah politician Ali Ammar spoke to the Associated Press news agency after his son Mahdi was killed.
This is a new Israeli aggression against Lebanon. The resistance will strike back in an appropriate manner and at the appropriate time.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the “criminal Israeli aggression” and called the attack “a serious violation of Lebanese sovereignty.”
Attack on Hezbollah beeper: What happened yesterday?
Below is a brief overview of the attacks carried out on Hezbollah terrorists yesterday:
More than 300 people were taken to hospital in critical condition yesterday afternoon after pagers belonging to the banned terrorist group Hezbollah exploded within an hour.
The detonators were activated at around 3.30pm local time (1.45pm UK time) on Tuesday after a message was received that it appeared to have come from Hezbollah’s top brass.
There was widespread panic and chaotic scenes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon. In neighbouring Syria, 14 people were injured in the explosions, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Victims were seen in painful images and videos shared on social media and published on Lebanese networks, writhing in pain and with horrific injuries to their faces, abdomens and even groins.
Among the girls reportedly killed were two girls, aged eight and 10, and the son of a Lebanese lawmaker. Iran said its ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, also suffered injuries to his face and hand.
Both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have squarely blamed Israel for the attack. While Israel has yet to comment on the matter, allies including the United States have tried to distance themselves from the attack.
Let us first bring you our current headline story on the MailOnline website, reporting that Israel was involved in the deadly pager bombing
by Perkin Amalaraj and Sam Greenhill
Israeli spies were behind the Pager bombing that killed nine people, including two young girls, and wounded more than 2,750 in Lebanon.
According to the New York Times, Hezbollah’s pagers were compromised in a joint operation between the Mossad, Israel’s shadowy intelligence agency, and the Israeli military.
It is said that the security service and the military filled the pagers ordered by Hezbollah with one or two ounces of explosive material and a detonator before they were delivered.
Good morning
Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of the pager bombing targeting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and Syria.
At least nine people were killed and 2,750 injured, 300 seriously, after a series of detonations of the hand-held devices on Tuesday afternoon.
Hezbollah immediately blamed Israel and vowed revenge. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that the pagers (pictured above) had been compromised in a joint operation between the Mossad, Israeli intelligence, and the Israeli military.
We will keep you updated on all developments and reactions throughout the day, as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to rise and both sides move ever closer to war.
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