People lined up to donate blood after pager explosions targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon killed at least 12 people, including two children, and injured thousands. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE
At least 12 people, including two children, were killed as pagers used by members of Hezbollah exploded in an attack targeting the Iran-backed militant group, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad said Wednesday.
Abiad said health workers were among those killed and that 2,750 people were also injured, with 200 in critical condition. Advertisement
Hezbollah has said “the Israeli enemy” bears full responsibility for what Hezbollah described as “this criminal aggression” and will “certainly receive its just punishment.”
Multiple reports said Mossad, the Israeli spy agency, placed the explosives but Israel has not officially taken responsibility for the attack.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it is “currently conducting a wide-ranging security and scientific investigation to determine the reasons that led to these simultaneous explosions.”
Lebanon information minister Ziad Makary said a complaint will be lodged with the United Nations Security Council over the attack, which he said was “a blatant attack on Lebanese sovereignty, that targeted civilians, not only Hezbollah members.”
“Using tools that are made for human well-being as a tool of terror is the height of criminality,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement. Advertisement
He called the incident “a shame for the Western countries, especially the Americans.”
“This incident once again showed that although the Western countries and the Americans claim that they are looking for a ceasefire, in practice they fully support the crimes, killings and blind assassinations of the Zionist regime,” Pezeshkian said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States didn’t know about the attack and was not involved in it.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offered support to Lebanon while rejecting attempts at escalation in the Middle East.
According to the Anadolu news agency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati that Israel’s attempts to widen the Middle East conflict were dangerous.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said in a statement the pager attacks demonstrated a “wanton disregard” for civilian life. He appealed to Israel’s government not to engage in war in Lebanon as he also called on Hezbollah not to further escalate the situation.
Taiwan firm Gold Apollo denies any involvement and said the pagers carrying its brand were made by the Hungarian company BAC Consulting.
Gold Apollo said BAC had licensed their name, but Apollo had “no involvement in the design or manufacturing of the product.” Advertisement
