Explosions erupt in Lebanon, radio receivers targeted

News 18-09-2024

A wave of new explosions erupted in numerous areas in Lebanon as radio receivers were hit in a possible Israeli attack.

Radio receivers, commonly known as walkie-talkies, spontaneously exploded Wednesday in numerous areas in Lebanon in a possible renewed Israeli attack.

The devices, seemingly ICOM V82s, spontaneously detonated, and due to the devices containing highly flammable lithium batteries, the explosions were severe.

The explosions caused massive fires in cars, motorcycles, apartments, and stores all over Lebanon. The scope of the injuries is yet to be determined.

One device even exploded during a funeral procession for an individual martyred in the eerily similar Tuesday attack, with a large crowd gathering around the person carrying it.

It has been reported that at least three people have been martyred as a result of the attacks, with the injuries standing in the dozens.

Citing security sources, Reuters reported that the radios were purchased by Hezbollah around the same time the pagers.

The New York Times, citing US and other officials briefed on the attack, reported that “Israel” planted explosive material in a recent batch of Taiwanese-brand pagers imported to Lebanon, carrying out an operation against Hezbollah.

Pagers ordered by Hezbollah from Gold Apollo were tampered with before arriving in the county, some officials stated. Most pagers were the AR924 models, but the shipment also included three other models from the company, according to NYT.

Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo said the pagers were produced and developed by a European company, CEO Hsu Chin-Kuang said on Wednesday.

“The pagers were both developed and produced abroad, so they have nothing to do with Taiwan,” the director was quoted as saying by Taiwanese news portal CTWANT.