Mass Pager Explosions in Lebanon Leave Over 2,750 Injured
On September 17, 2024, a mass detonation of pagers occurred across Lebanon, resulting in at least eight deaths and around 2,750 injuries. According to media reports, the pagers were used by members of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, who relied on them to avoid surveillance and tracking. The incident is suspected to have been caused by a cyberattack from Israel.
Details of the Incident
According to Reuters, the wave of explosions lasted about an hour, with the first detonations reported around 3:45 p.m. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing its own sources, reported that the devices began to heat up shortly before the explosions (around 3:30 p.m.), allowing some users to notice the issue and discard the pagers in time.
Sources within law enforcement told the media that the exploded pagers were the latest model, distributed to Hezbollah members in recent months. Representatives of the group told WSJ that “hundreds of fighters” were using the pagers. They suggested that malicious software, pre-installed on the devices, could have caused them to overheat and explode.
Hezbollah officials told Reuters that the pager explosions represented “the largest security breach” the group has faced in a year of conflict with Israel. While the exact model of the devices is not confirmed, it is believed that Hezbollah used the Apollo Rugged Pager AR924, manufactured in Taiwan.
Casualties and Emergency Response
Lebanon’s Minister of Health, Firas Abiad, confirmed that eight people were killed and about 2,750 injured in the mass pager detonations. More than 170 people remain hospitalized in serious condition. Among the injured was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, who reportedly sustained minor injuries, according to the official IRNA news agency.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health’s Crisis Operations Center has called on all medical personnel to urgently report to hospitals to help manage the influx of patients needing emergency care. Medical workers have also been banned from using pagers.
Political Reactions and Theories
Lebanon’s Minister of Information, Ziad Makari, stated that the country’s leadership has reviewed preliminary information and considers the incident an act of Israeli aggression, promising a response. The Israeli government has declined to comment on the incident.
The event has sparked numerous theories. Some suggest that Israel found a way to remotely disable the pagers. Other versions claim the devices may have been modified in advance—possibly as part of a supply chain attack—infected with malware, or equipped with malicious components that were later activated, leading to the mass detonations.