Lagatar24 Desk
Beirut: Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, launched a rocket attack on Israeli artillery positions on Wednesday, marking its first retaliatory strike after a devastating pager explosion injured thousands of its members and killed 12, including children. The group has accused Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad of orchestrating the explosions in Lebanon, calling it the “biggest security breach” in Hezbollah’s history.
The pager explosions, which occurred on Tuesday, wounded nearly 3,000 people, including fighters and civilians. Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured in the blasts. Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed the death toll had risen to 12, including two children. Many of the wounded sustained critical injuries, some suffering from missing limbs and severe facial wounds.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel, intensifying fears of a wider Middle East conflict. The group blamed Mossad for planting explosives inside the pagers that had been imported into Lebanon months earlier. Lebanese security sources said that Mossad had infiltrated the production process, adding explosive devices that could be remotely triggered via coded messages.
The blasts come amid rising tensions, with Hezbollah and Israel engaged in cross-border warfare since the Gaza conflict erupted in October last year. Hezbollah, a staunch ally of Hamas, has supported the Gaza-based group in its ongoing fight against Israel, further escalating the regional conflict.
Details of the Pager Blasts
The explosions reportedly affected Hezbollah fighters across various strongholds in Lebanon. According to a Lebanese security source, Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, but the pagers were allegedly modified by Mossad to contain hidden explosives. The devices were detonated remotely, causing the widespread destruction.
Gold Apollo has denied any involvement in the blasts, stating that the pagers were produced under license by BAC, a company based in Hungary. BAC has yet to comment on the matter. Investigations are ongoing to uncover how Mossad infiltrated the supply chain to carry out this sophisticated attack.
Hezbollah’s Retaliation
Following the explosions, Hezbollah launched its first official strike on Israeli artillery positions. The timing and location of the attack were not immediately disclosed, but the group is expected to intensify its operations in response to what it has called an Israeli “massacre.” Hezbollah’s leadership has indicated that it will continue supporting Hamas in Gaza and warned Israel to expect further retaliatory strikes.
The attack has raised concerns of a larger conflict drawing in regional powers, including Iran and the United States. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has accused Israel of pushing the region to the brink of war, as Hezbollah vowed to defend itself against further Israeli aggression.
