September 18th 2024.
In the bustling city of Beirut, journalists were startled by two distinct explosions that echoed through the southern suburbs. This came just a day after a coordinated attack across Lebanon set off thousands of pagers. According to sources, these blasts were caused by walkie talkies being detonated in the city, specifically in the area where Hezbollah, a powerful political and military group, holds a stronghold. However, security sources have informed Reuters that the devices were actually hand-held radios, which are different from pagers.
Interestingly, these radios were purchased by Hezbollah about five months ago, around the same time as the pagers. However, these claims have not yet been verified by any official agency. Reports have stated that multiple people were wounded by the explosions, with some sources claiming that dozens were injured. One of the blasts occurred during a funeral procession organized by Hezbollah for those who lost their lives in the previous day's attack.
UN Chief António Guterres expressed concern over these events, stating that the pager blasts indicate a serious risk of escalation in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine has acknowledged that the group is entering a "new phase" and that "punishment is certainly coming". The streets were thrown into chaos following the explosions yesterday, and the situation remains tense.
As if things couldn't get any worse, explosions were also reported at a funeral for the son of a Hezbollah member, adding to the already chaotic atmosphere. The streets were splattered with blood after yesterday's attacks, and the toll continues to rise with over 2,750 injuries reported in southern Lebanon, southern Beirut, and the Syrian town of Set Zaynab. Lebanon's health minister Firass Abiad confirmed that five more people have died, including the son of Ali Ammar, a member of the Lebanese parliament.
An anonymous Hezbollah official has described the detonation of the pagers as the "biggest security breach" the group has faced in almost a year of war with Israel. In a surprising turn of events, even Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was injured in the explosion, as reported by Iran's Mehr news agency. According to Elijah J Magnier, a Brussels-based senior political risk analyst, the pagers all vibrated and beeped for ten seconds before detonating when the user pressed the cancel button.
The situation in Beirut remains tense and uncertain as authorities try to piece together the events of the past two days. With the death toll rising and tensions escalating, the future of Lebanon hangs in the balance.
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