Pager, walkie-talkie blasts in Lebanon: Who is targeting Hezbollah and why?

A day after large-scale pager explosions targeting Hezbollah, Lebanon was shaken by blasts from walkie-talkies and solar equipment on Wednesday. The militant group blames Israel for the attacks

In what appears to be a new warfare tactic, Lebanon experienced a series of explosions on Wednesday involving walkie-talkies and solar equipment. This incident followed the simultaneous detonation of 5,000 pager devices a day earlier, targeting the militant group Hezbollah.

According to Lebanese officials, the blasts on Wednesday have resulted in at least 14 deaths and over 450 injuries. A day earlier, pager explosions had killed at least nine people and injured around 3,000, sending shockwaves across the globe.

Hezbollah has accused Israel of the attacks, signalling a wider escalation of the ongoing tensions in West Asia that have flared up since the Gaza war last year. However, Israel has not made any official comments regarding the incident.

 

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah is a militant group backed by Iran and founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982. The group shares Iran’s ideology and is part of the ‘Axis of Resistance,’ which also includes the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas.

They have been partially involved in the Gaza conflict between Hamas and Israel. The United States and Saudi Arabia designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

How were the pager and walkie-talkie explosions carried out in Lebanon?

The pager devices, which use radio signals instead of the modern internet for data transmission, were being used by the militant group to avoid tracking by Israel. Experts believe that small amounts of explosives were planted in at least 5,000 of these devices before they were delivered to Hezbollah, indicating that the attack had been planned for a long time.

These devices, reportedly manufactured by a Hungarian company, were procured by Hezbollah earlier this year. They were functioning normally for the past six months until Tuesday evening, when the devices were triggered simultaneously, likely using a radio signal.

Confusion surrounding the blasts intensified on Wednesday when a new round of explosions occurred in walkie-talkies and a home solar energy system. The injuries were so numerous because these devices, carried by Hezbollah members like cellphones, were targeted while they were in homes and other public spaces.

Experts noted that it may have been easier to rig pagers with bombs as any explosive device has certain components also found in these devices.

Why is Hezbollah allegedly being targeted by Israel?

On Wednesday, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant told his troops that they were at the start of a new phase of war but did not mention anything about the explosions. However, he praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying the results are very impressive.

While Israel has not taken any responsibility, Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate.