New explosions hit equipment used by Hezbollah

Less than 24 hours after a series of pager-type messaging devices used by Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon, a second wave affected another means of communication of the terrorist group, this Wednesday (18).

The country’s public health ministry said at least one person was killed and 100 others were injured in the new explosions. This time, several “walkie-talkies”, devices for sending and receiving messages via radio waves, exploded in the capital, Beirut, and in the south of the country, a region controlled by the Shiite group.

The latest incident comes on the same day that Hezbollah vowed to give a “specific” response to what it called an “Israeli massacre” against Lebanon. The group said Tuesday’s attack would be met with “severe punishment” and “accountability.”

Shortly afterwards, the Lebanese militia claimed responsibility for launching projectiles into northern Israel, in its first action since the explosion of the pagers, which killed at least 12 people in Lebanon, according to local media, at least two of them terrorists.

“Islamic Resistance fighters bombarded enemy Israeli artillery bunkers in Neve Ziv with a barrage of rockets,” Hezbollah said in a statement, which carried out its latest action against Israel early Tuesday afternoon.

Israel has not commented on the accusations of responsibility for the explosions, but the Tel Aviv army insisted on Wednesday that it was prepared for “any mission” on the border with Lebanon.

“The mission is clear. We are determined to change the security situation as quickly as possible,” said the head of Israel’s Northern Command, Major General Ori Gordin, after two army brigades completed a series of exercises to simulate combat “in enemy territory”.

Gordin highlighted that the troops “are extremely prepared for any mission assigned to them.”

Israel has been on high alert since last night, when thousands of pagers associated with the Lebanese group exploded in Lebanon and Syria, killing 12 people and injuring around 3,000 others.

Tel Aviv has been engaged in an intense exchange of hostilities with the Lebanese Shiite group since October 8, when Hezbollah began launching attacks in solidarity with Palestinian militias in the Gaza Strip, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Last Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that with operations in Gaza nearly complete, Israel’s focus was now shifting to the border with Lebanon, where constant crossfire with Hezbollah has forced some 60,000 people to live in evacuated hotels or family homes across the country.