Tensions in Lebanon soared on Wednesday as handheld radios used by Hezbollah fighters exploded across the country’s south, marking the deadliest day since cross-border skirmishes with Israel began nearly a year ago, reported Reuters.
The explosions left 20 dead and over 450 injured, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, further stoking fears of a broader conflict with Israel.
This latest incident follows a similar wave of blasts on Tuesday when thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated, killing 12 people, including two children, and wounding nearly 3,000 others.
Lebanon’s Red Cross reported a massive response, dispatching 30 ambulance teams to multiple blast sites, including Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley.
A Significant Security Breach
The explosions have rattled Hezbollah, one of the region’s most powerful militant groups, leading to speculation about the group’s vulnerability. A Hezbollah official described the events as the most significant security breach in the organization’s history.
While Israeli officials have remained silent on the matter, sources suggest Israel’s Mossad was behind both the pager and radio detonations, part of a broader operation targeting Hezbollah’s communication networks.
The group had reportedly turned to low-tech devices like pagers and radios to evade Israeli surveillance of mobile phones, but the devices were compromised.
Images from the blasts show radios marked “ICOM” and “made in Japan,” raising questions about how the devices were compromised. ICOM, a Japan-based radio communications company, has yet to comment on the situation, though the model implicated was phased out in 2014.
What Do We Know About the Devices?
Details about the walkie-talkies involved in Wednesday’s explosions are still emerging. Footage from the aftermath revealed damaged devices branded with the name Icom, a Japanese company.
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