At least eight killed and thousands injured by exploding pagers across Lebanon
At least eight people were killed in different regions of Lebanon on Tuesday when their pagers exploded. Another 2,750 people were injured, Lebanese Health minister Firas Abiad said.
Among the dead were two Hezbollah members and a 10-year-old girl, Hezbollah said. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was also wounded, but his injuries were said to be superficial, Iranian state television reported.
According to pro-Iranian media, pagers also exploded in Syria, killing seven people. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said several Hezbollah members were admitted to hospitals in Damascus after their pagers exploded.
The Lebanese government blamed Israel for the blasts. In a statement, Hezbollah condemned Israel and said it would receive a "just punishment". Israel has yet to respond.
Hezbollah relied on the pagers to communicate after the leadership asked its members to stop using mobile phones to avoid being hacked by Israel.
Potential escalation
Since the 7 October attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the ensuing war in Gaza, skirmishes have regularly broken out along the Israeli-Lebanese border, leaving hundreds dead.
If Israel is responsible for Tuesday's explosions, it would mark a further escalation in the Middle East and increase the likelihood of a regional war that could draw in Hezbollah's ally, Iran, and Israel's ally, the US.
© PHOTO ANWAR AMRO / AFP
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