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What we know about the Hezbollah device explosions
20 September 2024
Matt Murphy
BBC News
Joe Tidy
Cyber Correspondent
Watch how the Hezbollah exploding pagers attack unfolded
At least 32 people, including two children, were killed and thousands more injured, many seriously, after communication devices, some used by the armed group Hezbollah, dramatically exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the latest round of blasts on Wednesday, exploding walkie-talkies killed 20 and injured at least 450 people, according to Lebanon's health ministry.
The explosions occurred in the vicinity of a large crowd that had gathered for the funerals of four victims of Tuesday's simultaneous pager blasts, which killed at least 12 people and injured nearly 3,000.
BBC teams in the city reported chaotic scenes in which ambulances struggled to reach the injured, while locals became suspicious of anyone using a phone.
The explosions deepened unease in Lebanese society, coming a day after the apparently similar and highly sophisticated attack targeting thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members.
The militant group blamed its adversary, Israel. Israeli officials have so far declined to comment.
Two firms based in Taiwan and Hungary accused in media reports of manufacturing the pagers have both denied responsibility, with the Taiwanese government saying the different parts of the pagers were not from Taiwan.
"The components are low-end IC (integrated circuits) and batteries, I can say with certainty they were not made in Taiwan," Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei said.
A Japanese company which apparently makes the walkie-talkies said it stopped producing that model 10 years ago.
Here is what we know so far.
How did the attacks unfold?
The first round of blasts began in Lebanon's capital Beirut and several other areas of the country at about 15:30 local time (13:30 BST) on Tuesday.
Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from people's pockets, before seeing small explosions that sounded like fireworks and gunshots.
Citing US officials, the New York Times said that the pagers received messages that appeared to be coming from Hezbollah's leadership before detonating. The messages instead appeared to trigger the devices, the outlet reported.
Explosions continued for around an hour after the initial blasts, the Reuters news agency reported.
Soon after, scores of people began arriving at hospitals across Lebanon, with witnesses reporting mass confusion in emergency departments.
Similar scenes played out across the country in another round of blasts on Wednesday, at around 17:00 local time (15:00 BST).
Reports suggest it was walkie-talkies that were blown up, devices that were purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, according to a security source speaking to Reuters news agency.
At least one explosion was close to a funeral being held in Beirut for some of the victims of Tuesday's attack, creating panic among those near the procession.
Twenty people have been killed and at least 450 injured, according to Lebanon's health ministry.