BEIRUT – Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah suffered a massive blow on Tuesday when 9 people, including a minor, were killed as explosive-laden pagers went off, in what is described as sophisticated attack from Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
As exact details about the bombing are about to be uncovered, reports shared by international media accused Israel of conducting an operation against Hezbollah by planting explosives in pagers which the armed group is using to avoid spying.
It was reported that a shipment of foreign-made pagers was altered with explosives before reaching Lebanon. The group ordered these communication devices from Gold Apollo, but the company refused the statement, saying these were Budapest-based BAC Consulting, and it only licensed out its brand to the company and was not involved in the production. Each device contained 1-2oz of explosives and a remote trigger mechanism.
After deaths and thousands of casualties, Hezbollah accused Tel Aviv of orchestrating a deadly attack involving the detonation of explosives, including among its operatives and Iran’s envoy in country’s capital.
The pagers were secretly modified by Israel’s Mossad to include explosive charges that activated with a coded message. This operation targeted Hezbollah’s communication strategy, particularly after the group restricted cellphone use amid spying.
The incident is a major intel failure for Hezbollah, highlighting advanced infiltration capabilities of Mossad. Amid rising tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border, Hezbollah vowed retaliation and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Gaza, raising concerns about the potential for a broader regional conflict.
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