2024-09-18 05:58:01
NEW YORK (AP) — Pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday in what appeared to be a remote and sophisticated attack, killing at least nine people, including an 8-year-old girl.
A U.S. official said Israel informed the U.S. of the operation on Tuesday, after which a small amount of explosives secretly placed in a pager was detonated. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the information publicly.
Iran-backed militia groups blamed Israel for the deadly bombings, which affected countless people and seemed to indicate a planned operation. Few details are known about how the attack was carried out, and investigators initially did not say how the devices were detonated. The Israeli military declined to comment.
What we know so far is:
Why are buzzers used in attacks?
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned members of the group not to carry cell phones, believing that Israel could use them to track the group’s movements. Therefore, the organization uses paging devices for communication.
A Hezbollah member told The Associated Press that the device that exploded was a new brand the group had never used before. The person, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, did not disclose the specific brand or supplier.
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday it has licensed the use of its brand on the AR-924 buzzer model, while a company called BAC manufactures and sells the device. There was initially no further information about BAC.
Nicholas Reese, an adjunct lecturer at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University’s School of Professional Studies, explained that smartphone communications carry a greater risk of being intercepted than simpler pager technology.
Reese, a former intelligence officer, said such an attack would also force Hezbollah to change its communications strategy, with survivors of Tuesday’s blast likely to “give up not just their pagers but their cellphones and put down their tablets or phones.” “
How could an act of vandalism cause these pagers to explode?
Although a U.S. official confirmed that this was a planned Israeli operation, multiple theories have emerged about how the attack could have been carried out. Several experts interviewed by The Associated Press explained that the explosion was likely the result of disruptions in supply chains.
Very small explosive devices may have been contained in buzzers before being delivered to Hezbollah, and then all of them were activated simultaneously from a distance, possibly via radio signals.
Carlos Perez, director of security intelligence at TrustedSec, said that at the time of the attack, “the battery was probably half an explosive battery and half a real battery.”
A former British Army explosives management officer said there are five main components of an explosive device: the tank, the battery, the initiating device, the detonator and the explosive.
“The pager already has three of them,” the former soldier explained. “You just add the detonator and the charge.”
Surveillance footage emerged on social media on Tuesday of a pager exploding in a man’s buttocks in a Lebanese market, with two munitions experts agreeing with U.S. officials that the blast appeared to have been caused by a very small explosive device of.
Sean Moorhouse, a former British Army officer and expert in defusing explosive devices, said: “As you can see from the footage, the scale of the explosion is comparable to that caused by just an electric detonator or a detonator containing a very small amount of high explosive. Similar scale.
Moorhouse said this showed state actors were involved. He added that Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, was the most obvious suspect and had the resources to carry out such an attack.
NR Jenzen-Jones, a military weapons expert and director of Australian Armament Research Services, noted that Israel has been accused of similar operations in the past. Last year, the Associated Press reported that Iran accused Israel of trying to sabotage its ballistic missile program with defective foreign parts that could explode, damage or destroy the weapons before they could be used.
How long did this surgery last?
Planning an attack of this magnitude takes a long time. Exact details are unclear, but experts interviewed by The Associated Press gave estimates ranging from a few months to two years.
Reese explained that the sophistication of the attack showed that the culprits had been gathering information for a long time. An attack of this scale would require establishing the necessary relationships to gain physical access to the pager before selling it, developing technology that would be incorporated into the device, and developing the source that could confirm the target was carrying the pager.
Additionally, affected pagers may have appeared normal to their users for some time before the attack. Elijah J. Magnier, a senior political risk analyst based in Brussels with 37 years of experience in the region, said he had spoken with Hezbollah members and survivors of Tuesday’s attack. The pagers were delivered more than six months ago, he said.
“The pager worked perfectly for six months,” Manier said. He said the explosion appeared to be caused by an incorrect message being sent to all the devices.
Based on his conversations with Hezbollah members, Manir also said many pagers did not explode, allowing the group to inspect them. He said they concluded that between 3 and 5 grams of highly explosive material was hidden or integrated into the circuit.
Jensen-Jones also added that “an operation of this magnitude also raises questions of accuracy,” highlighting the number of casualties and the magnitude of the impact reported so far.
“For example, how can a party setting off an explosive determine that the targeted child was not playing when the buzzer was triggered?”
Hezbollah issued a statement confirming that at least two Hezbollah members were killed in the explosion. One of them is the son of a Hezbollah lawmaker, according to a militia official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The group later issued a statement saying six other members died on Tuesday, without specifying how.
“We hold Israel’s enemies fully responsible for this criminal aggression against civilians,” Hezbollah said, adding that Israel “will certainly be punished justly”.
___
Associated Press writer Johnson Lai in Taipei contributed to this report.
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– What is the significance of using pagers for communication among Hezbollah members?
Table of Contents
Pagers Explode Across Lebanon in Attack on Hezbollah, Hundreds Wounded
In a shocking and sophisticated attack, pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people, including an 8-year-old girl, and wounding hundreds more. The attack, which appears to be a remote and planned operation, has been blamed on Israel by Iran-backed militia groups.
According to a U.S. official, Israel informed the U.S. of the operation on Tuesday, after which a small amount of explosives secretly placed in the pagers was detonated. The Israeli military has declined to comment on the attack.
Why Were Pagers Used in the Attack?
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has warned members of the group not to carry cell phones, believing that Israel could use them to track the group’s movements. Therefore, the organization uses paging devices for communication. A Hezbollah member told The Associated Press that the device that exploded was a new brand the group had never used before.
How Could the Pagers Have Been Made to Explode?
Several experts have theorized that the explosion was likely the result of disruptions in supply chains. Very small explosive devices may have been contained in the pagers before being delivered to Hezbollah, and then all of them were activated simultaneously from a distance, possibly via radio signals.
Carlos Perez, director of security intelligence at TrustedSec, suggested that the battery was probably half an explosive battery and half a real battery. A former British Army explosives management officer explained that the pager already has three of the five main components of an explosive device, and all that was needed was to add the detonator and the charge.
How Long Did the Planning of This Attack Take?
Planning an attack of this magnitude takes a long time. Exact details are unclear, but experts estimate that the attack took anywhere from a few months to two years to plan. Nicholas Reese, an adjunct lecturer at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University’s School of Professional Studies, explained that the sophistication of the attack showed that the culprits had been gathering information for a long time.
Investigation and Reaction
The attack has sparked a massive investigation, with multiple theories emerging about how it could have been carried out. Hezbollah has issued a statement condemning the attack and vowing to take action. The Israeli military has declined to comment, but experts believe that Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, was likely involved.
The attack has also raised questions about the accuracy of the operation, with NR Jenzen-Jones, a military weapons expert, highlighting the number of casualties and the magnitude of the impact reported so far.
As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen how this attack will affect the region and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militia groups.
Sources:
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– What were the immediate effects of the pager explosions on Hezbollah members?
Title: “Mysterious Pager Explosions Target Hezbollah Members: A Sophisticated Attack Unfolds”
Meta Description: Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least 9 people. A sophisticated attack attributed to Israel raises questions about the motives and methods behind this operation.
Header Tags:
H1: Mysterious Pager Explosions Target Hezbollah Members: A Sophisticated Attack Unfolds
H2: Why Are Pagers Used in Attacks?
H2: How Could an Act of Vandalism Cause These Pagers to Explode?
H2: How Long Did This Operation Last?
Content:
A mysterious and sophisticated attack has left at least 9 people dead, including an 8-year-old girl, after hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded almost simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria. The operation, attributed to Israel, has raised questions about the motives and methods behind this attack.
Why Are Pagers Used in Attacks?
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has warned members of the group not to carry cell phones, believing that Israel could use them to track the group’s movements. As a result, the organization uses paging devices for communication. A Hezbollah member revealed that the device that exploded was a new brand the group had never used before.
How Could an Act of Vandalism Cause These Pagers to Explode?
Theories have emerged about how the attack could have been carried out. Experts suggest that very small explosive devices may have been contained in the pagers before being delivered to Hezbollah, and then all of them were activated simultaneously from a distance, possibly via radio signals. The explosion was likely the result of disruptions in supply chains.
Surveillance footage emerged on social media of a pager exploding in a man’s buttocks in a Lebanese market, with two munitions experts agreeing with U.S. officials that the blast appeared to have been caused by a very small explosive device.
How Long Did This Operation Last?
Planning an attack of this magnitude takes a long time. Exact details are unclear, but experts estimate that the operation may have taken anywhere from a few months to a year to plan and execute.
Conclusion:
The pager explosions that targeted Hezbollah members have left many questions unanswered. As investigators delve deeper into the attack, one thing is clear: this operation was sophisticated and well-planned, with far-reaching implications for the region.
Keyword Research:
Pager explosions
Hezbollah
Israel
Sophisticated attack
Mysterious operation
Lebanon
Syria
Iranian-backed militia groups
Mossad
Intelligence agencies
Surveillance footage
Explosive devices
Supply chain disruptions
Military operations
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