After Pagers, Walkie Talkies Explode

Thousands of walkie talkies have exploded in Lebanon. These are devices used by members of Hezbollah. It seems, therefore, to be a second operation against the Shiite organizationfollowing yesterday’s attack and large-scale pager explosions that left at least 12 people dead, including two children, and thousands injured.

Three people killed in explosions in Sohmor in the Bekaa Valley, according to the Lebanese news agency Nna. Al-Jazeera reported more than 20 wounded in various areas of Lebanon.

According to sources cited by journalist Barak Ravid on social media X, the booby-trapped walkie-talkies were part of the emergency communications system that Hezbollah was supposed to use in the event of war with Israel.

A security source confirmed to CNN that the devices that exploded today in Lebanon were walkie talkies. According to the American broadcaster, there were 15-20 explosions in the southern suburbs of Beirut and another 15-20 in the south of the country. Walkie talkies, the source points out, are significantly less widespread among Hezbollah militants than pagers.. In fact, they are only distributed to people who organize events such as funerals and marches.

The walkie-talkies were purchased by Hezbollah about five months ago, security sources cited by the Times of Israel, around the same time the pagers were purchased.

Also several solar panelsessential for the maintenance of Lebanon’s energy system, reports the Lebanese agency Nna, are exploded in a number of homes in the south of the Land of Cedars.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied reports that the United States was aware of yesterday’s attack.

Blinken, in Cairo for his tenth visit to the region since October 7, then stressed the need to reach a ceasefire. “We all know that a ceasefire is the best opportunity to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the risks to regional stability,” he said during a press conference.

According to Axios, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin minutes before the Israeli strike. According to the usually well-informed site, Gallant’s call was an attempt to avoid leaving Washington completely in the dark.

“The United States had no knowledge of, and was not involved in, these incidents,” Blinken said at a press conference in Cairo, stressing that “we are still gathering information and facts.” “Broadly speaking, we have been clear and remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding steps that could escalate the conflict that we are trying to resolve in Gaza,” the US secretary of state added, adding that it was not yet clear what impact these explosions could have on Hezbollah’s operations.