On Wednesday, walkie-talkies and solar equipment exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon in an second wave of attacks targeting devices a day after pagers used by Hezbollah blew up, according to the media reports. At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 wounded in the second wave, the Health Ministry said.
The attacks which were believed to be carried out by Israel targeting Hezbollah but have also killed civilians have hiked fears that the two sides’ simmering conflict could potentially lead to war. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, ‘We are at the start of a new phase in the war, it requires courage, determination and perseverance’.
He made no mention of the exploding devices but appreciated the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, by adding, “the results are very impressive.” In Wednesday’s attacks, several blasts were heard at a funeral in Beirut for three Hezbollah members and a child killed by exploding pagers the day before, according to the media reports.
A girl was hurt in the south when a home solar energy system blew up, according to the media reports. The new blasts hit a country with anger after Tuesday’s pager bombings, which killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded some 2,800 others. The second wave also deepens concern over the potentially casualties caused in the attacks, in which hundreds of blasts went off wherever the holder of the pager happened to be —in homes, cars, at grocery stores and in cafes, often with family or bystanders nearby.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Health Minister confirmed a series of explosions across the country which lead to deaths of at least eight people and injuring 2,750 others. The blasts were caused by exploding handheld pagers. Health Minister Firaas Abiad further informed that over 200 people are in critical condition after the communication devices exploded on Tuesday. He also added that the victims are receiving treatment in over 150 hospitals.
Earlier in a statement on Tuesday, Hezbollah said that pagers belonging to employees of many Hezbollah units and institutions exploded, killing two of its fighters and a girl. The group further said that it was probing to determine the causes of the explosions.
A Hezbollah official described the explosion of handheld pagers as the organisation’s biggest security breach in nearly a year. No official statement has been released by the Israeli military regarding the explosions in Lebanon. According to the media reports, some 1,000 Hezbollah operatives so far have been injured by exploding pagers and radios. According to the media reports, ‘Hezbollah figures in Syria were also injured in the simultaneous blasts. Also injured was Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani’.
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