Key Takeaways:
– Multiple device explosions reported in Hezbollah strongholds, causing nine fatalities and injuring 300 others.
– The blasts followed the explosion of thousands of Hezbollah member’s pagers that killed 12 and injured hundreds.
– Rising geopolitical tension suspected between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, but Israel has remained silent.
– Taiwan’s Gold Apollo and Hungary’s Bac Consulting KFT implicated in manufacturing the explosive devices.
– Israel’s Mossad intelligence implicated in device tampering, but evidence is uncertain.
Explosive Devices Ignite Fear and Casualties
Sources reported that devices used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group exploded in its Beirut stronghold recently, killing at least nine people, and injuring over 300. While the country grapples with the shock, the frequency and magnitude of these blasts have aroused suspicions of a hidden hand at work.
Aftermath of Pager Explosions
According to the health ministry, the current wave of attacks closely follows the unexpected explosion of thousands of pagers carried by Hezbollah members. The bizarre instances claimed the lives of 12 people, including two children, instigating alarm and prompting an investigation into these dreadful incidents. These unsettling events add to the simmering tension between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. However, no public comments regarding the blasts have been received yet from the Israeli side.
Location and Timing
Shocking accounts reveal that one of the explosions even marred a funeral being held by Hezbollah for victims of the previous day’s pager blasts. Observers noted quick action by families linked to Hezbollah, prudently removing batteries from un-exploded walkie-talkies and disposing of the devices.
Device Explosions Spread Far and Wide
The unexpected explosions have not been confined to Beirut alone. Other Hezbollah strongholds in east and south Lebanon have reported similar blasts of pagers and communication devices. Despite these worrying developments, the Israeli defense chief only mentioned a shift in the focus of war resources and forces.
Probable Role of Israel
While Israeli authorities have stayed silent on the issue, a US official disclosed that Israeli authorities had briefed American officials about the operation after Tuesday’s pager explosions. Hezbollah, expectedly, blamed Israel for the large-scale attack and pledged revenge. Still, the US military and Secretary of State Antony Blinken assertively denied having any prior knowledge or partaking in the operation.
Investigation Unveils Links to Taiwan and Hungary
Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese company, admitted to authorizing the trademark use on exploded pagers. Nevertheless, it clarified that the devices carried by Hezbollah members were manufactured and sold by Bac Consulting KFT, a company based in Budapest, Hungary. The Hungarian Prime Minister’s office denied any knowledge of the incident or any operational relationship with Bac Consulting.
Elusive Answers and Rising Suspicions
Estimates suggest that approximately 5,000 devices ordered by Hezbollah had a small amount of explosives planted in them, pointing fingers towards Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. These revelations, coupled with the silence from concerned authorities, only spiral the mystery around these series of explosions and heighten the tension in the region.
While the truth behind these targeted explosions remains veiled in suspicion and geopolitical chess games, Lebanon lives in fear – of loss, destruction, and the next big boom.