A day after thousands of pagers detonated in the country, walkie-talkies began to explode.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, chaos erupted at a Beirut supermarket when a man’s bag exploded, causing him serious injuries as shoppers fled or froze in shock. This incident was part of a coordinated attack targeting Hezbollah members across Lebanon, with pagers detonating almost simultaneously.
This large-scale attack injured thousands, filling hospitals across southern Lebanon. Victims, many of them Hezbollah affiliates, arrived with injuries to their fingers, stomachs, and groins. Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad reported that 2,800 people were injured and 11 killed, including civilians and the son of Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar.
Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was among those injured, adding diplomatic tension to the tragedy. Hezbollah members were the primary targets, yet civilians, including an eight-year-old girl, were also among the fatalities. The incident has further heightened the volatile atmosphere within Lebanon, raising questions about Hezbollah’s security vulnerabilities.
Following the pager detonations, walkie-talkies carried by Hezbollah affiliates also began exploding, spreading fear and uncertainty among the group’s ranks. This added a new layer of unpredictability as Hezbollah scrambled to assess the scope of the attack.
The origins of this sophisticated and wide-reaching assault remain unclear, though speculation suggests a highly organized adversary with the capacity for technological warfare. Investigations are underway, and authorities are bracing for potential further incidents.
This wave of attacks against Hezbollah has created political ripples, with increased scrutiny on Lebanon’s internal security and its connections to Iran. Hezbollah’s leadership has vowed to respond, but it faces immense pressure as it grapples with the threat to its personnel.
As Lebanon reels from the impact of these attacks, the country’s fragile stability is under strain. The violence has underscored the challenges Lebanon faces as multiple forces vie for influence, further complicating an already tumultuous regional landscape.
