Reports: Around 2,800 Hezbollah operatives wounded across Lebanon as communication devices explode

This is a developing story.

Almost 3,000 people, most of them Hezbollah operatives, were wounded across Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon when their communication devices mysteriously exploded at around the same time, according to Reuters and local reports.

Several hours after the incident, Hezbollah said in an official statement: "At 15:30, a large number of pagers exploded, many people were injured. A Lebanese girl and two Hezbollah members were killed in the incident, along with a large number of injured."

"An extensive security investigation is being conducted to find out the reasons for the explosions. We pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded and call to be careful of spreading rumors that help the enemy. The resistance is in the highest readiness to defend Lebanon and its people," the statement read.

A Hezbollah source told the Qatari Al Araby Al-Jadeed: "Israel remotely hacked into Hezbollah's unique communication devices and blew them up."

In the evening, Lebanon's Health Minister said there were at least eight dead and over 2750 wounded, including around 200 in serious condition.

The son of Ali Ammar, a Lebanese parliament member for Hezbollah, died as a result of a pager explosion, two security sources tell Reuters.

Among those wounded in the explosions is the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, according to Iranian state-owned Mehr News. In addition, the Saudi outlet al-Hadath said senior commanders of Hezbollah were wounded.

According to Reuters, the terror group ordered its operatives to ditch all communication devices. Reports of the mysterious explosions came from across the country, including southern Lebanon, the Lebanon and Bekaa Valleys, and Mount Lebanon.

Footage shows a detonation inside a bag belonging to an unknown individual. Apparently, communication devices on Hezbollah members detonated wounding an unconfirmed number of fighters. pic.twitter.com/e9khfMDLNS

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 17, 2024

A Reuters journalist reported seeing at least 10 Hezbollah members with bleeding hand wounds in the group’s stronghold in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut, where most of the incidents appeared to be concentrated.

The Health Ministry in Lebanon instructed hospitals to be on the highest alert level to receive the wounded, and urged all Lebanese citizens who own the same type of communication device to dispose of it immediately.

The al-Akhbar newspaper that is closely affiliated with Hezbollah called on its operatives to avoid giving Israel information about the outcome of the alleged Israeli operation. "Don't take pictures, don't publish information, don't assist the enemy," the outlet said.

According to reports, the devices that exploded weren't regular phones, but beepers or pagers, which are harder to track and and may therefore be widely used by the terror group.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the pagers were received by Hezbollah in recent days, and that hundreds of its operatives use the devices.

A Hezbollah official cited by the WSJ said some operatives had felt the pagers heat up and threw them away before they exploded.

Reports of the as-of-now unexplained explosions occurred amid reports of "dramatic" discussions among Israel's security establishment regarding the tense situation on Israel's northern border.