Lebanon: 9 killed, 300 injured as walkie talkies, home solar energy systems explode in Beirut, other regions

 Nine people were killed and over 300 injured in Hezbollah strongholds of Lebanon as walkie talkies and home solar energy systems exploded across the region, including in Beirut.

Livemint
Published18 Sep 2024, 08:18 PM IST
Advertisement
Lebanese soldiers and firefighters gather outside a mobile shop after what is believed to be the result of a walkie-talkie exploding inside it, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Wednesday, September 18, 2024. (AP)

At least nine people were killed and over 300 injured in fresh explosions in Lebanon on Wednesday as walkie-talkies and solar energy systems exploded in multiple regions, including Beirut.

The explosions of communication devices used by Lebanon's Hezbollah group took place a day after series of similar pager blasts.

Nine people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the latest attacks, APF quoted health ministry as saying.

One of the explosions in an hand-held radios used by Iran-backed Hezbollah detonated at the site of a funeral for three Hezbollah members and a child killed in pagers explosions.

Advertisement

Devices also exploded inside two cars in the area, reported AFP.

Reuters reported that the hand-held radios were purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, around the same time that the pagers were bought.

Meanwhile, stating that these attacks will certainly be uniquely punished, Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, said there will be a bloodily unique revenge, Times of Israel reported.

Iran condemned the attacks in Lebanon.

"The terrorism of the Zionist regime causes aversion and disgust. Iran strongly condemns yesterday's criminal explosion of communication devices and today's criminal explosion of walkie-talkies, which resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of Lebanese civilians," Reuters quoted government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani as saying.

Israel's spy agency Mossad is suspected to have planted explosives inside pagers imported by Hezbollah.

Advertisement

The death toll in pager attacks rose to 12, including two children, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. Tuesday's attack wounded nearly 3,000 people, including many of the militant group's fighters and Iran's envoy to Beirut.

A Taiwanese pager maker Gold Apollo said that the devices were manufactured by a Hungary based company called BAC and denied that it had produced the pager.

Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel, whose military declined to comment on the blasts. The two sides have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the Gaza conflict erupted last October, fuelling fears of a wider Middle East conflict that could drag in the United States and Iran.

Pager blast injured shifted to various hospitals

Many of the wounded had severe injuries to the eyes, and others had limbs amputated, said Lebanon Health Minister Firas Abiad.

Advertisement

Abiad said the wounded had been sent to various area hospitals to avoid any single facility being overloaded and added that Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Egypt offered to help treat the patients.

Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
First Published:18 Sep 2024, 08:18 PM IST
Business NewsNewsWorldLebanon: 9 killed, 300 injured as walkie talkies, home solar energy systems explode in Beirut, other regions
OPEN IN APP
Read Next Story
HomeMarketsPremiumInstant LoanMint Shorts