The Pager Explosions in Lebanon 2024

5 points re: the explosions in Lebanon

Nelly Kronstrand,

Emil Forsberg

Updated 12.18 | Published 2024-09-17 23.56

Hundreds of pagers have exploded in a coordinated attack in Lebanon.

12 people have died and 2,750 people have been injured.

Here are five points about the attack.

1. Witnesses: Sounds like fireworks

At around 15:30 local time on Tuesday, pagers said to belong to members of the armed group Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon.

The explosions took place in several areas of the country for just over an hour, according to Reuters. According to witnesses, the explosions sounded like gunshots and fireworks.

Several pagers belonging to members of the group are said to have also exploded in Syria - in connection with the attack in Lebanon.

2. So many have died

Lebanon's Ministry of Health states that 12 people died, including two children, and around 2,750 people were injured in the attack. Both Hezbollah leaders and civilians were injured in the attack.

Two of the dead are the sons of two Hezbollah members of parliament, according to a source to AFP. A 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member was also killed, according to the source.

Among the injured is Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani. However, his injuries are not considered serious.

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was not injured in the explosions, Reuters reports, citing a source.

3. Used pagers - wanted to avoid attack

The Iran-backed militia has previously advised its members not to use mobile phones - to avoid Israel hacking the system, according to TT.

Therefore, Hezbollah uses its own telecom system to communicate, including with pagers.

Security expert Navvar Saban at the Omran Center for Strategic Studies told Al Jazeera that the pagers were recently purchased by Hezbollah.

4. The militia accuses Israel

Hezbollah accuses Israel of being behind the attack and has vowed retaliation.

According to Axios, the attack was approved by the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Israel has not commented on the accusations or the attack in Lebanon.

Experts believe that there are different theories about what could be behind the attack. But according to Middle East expert Anders Persson, many points towards Israel.

5. UN: Risk of conflict escalating

The UN states in a statement that the attack risks escalating the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran and Hamas are among those condemning the attack.

In an email to Aftonbladet, the press service of the Swedish Foreign Ministry states that between 2,000 and 3,000 Swedes are in Lebanon.

At the moment, there is no information that any Swedes have been injured in the attack.

During the last 11 months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged the Swedes who are in Lebanon to leave the country.

"Swedes who have chosen to stay in Lebanon should think through their own contingency planning and take measures to keep themselves as safe as possible in the event of an escalated conflict," writes the Foreign Ministry.