Lebanon explosions: Everything we know about waves of deadly pager and walkie-talkie blasts

The two waves of explosions rocked Syria and Lebanon, killing at least 21 people and wounding thousands more, with concerns being raised over another conflict on Israel's northern border

Just a day after hundreds of Hezbollah members' pagers exploded, Lebanon experienced another wave of electronic device detonations on Wednesday.

These attacks, believed to be orchestrated by Israel, have heightened fears of escalating conflict and raised concerns about the extent of potentially compromised devices, especially given the high civilian casualty rate.

What do we know about these two waves of attacks?

On Tuesday, pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members detonated almost simultaneously in parts of Lebanon and Syria. The attack resulted in at least 12 fatalities, including two children, and thousands of injuries.

An anonymous American official revealed that Israel had briefed the US on the operation, which involved small amounts of explosives hidden in the pagers. Both the Lebanese government and Iran-backed Hezbollah pointed fingers at Israel for the deadly explosions.

The Israeli military, known for its history of sophisticated operations behind enemy lines, declined to comment. Following a sequence of deadly blasts in Beirut, Lebanon observed additional explosions on Wednesday, including several at a funeral for three Hezbollah members and a child who perished in Tuesday's attacks, with AP journalists reporting from the scene.

At least nine individuals were killed and 300 injured in what seems to be a follow-up assault, according to the Health Ministry. In a briefing to his forces, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made no comment regarding the electronic device detonations but lauded Israel's military and security efforts, stating, "we are at the start of a new phase in the war". The specifics of Wednesday's attack are still unfolding, including questions regarding the nature of the devices used.

A Hezbollah representative, speaking anonymously to the AP as they weren't greenlit for media discussions, revealed that the group's walkie-talkies blew up. Lebanon's state-run news outlet also disclosed solar power installations bursting in Beirut homes and parts of southern Lebanon, leaving at least one girl wounded.

This second explosion spree struck a nation already staggered by the initial pager bombings on Tuesday, seemingly part of an intricate Israeli scheme aimed at Hezbollah. However, an extensive number of civilians became collateral victims, as blasts erupted wherever the pagers of Hezbollah affiliates were situated - spanning private residences, vehicles, supermarkets, and cafes.

Hezbollah has long relied on pagers for communication, with the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, recently cautioning members against carrying mobile phones due to fears of Israeli tracking. Pagers operate on a separate wireless network to mobile phones, offering greater resilience during emergencies and allowing Hezbollah to evade suspected intensive Israeli electronic surveillance on Lebanon's mobile phone networks.

The technology is simpler and poses less risk of intercepted communications. Elijah J. Magnier, a Brussels-based veteran and senior political risk analyst who claims to have spoken with Hezbollah members and attack survivors, revealed that the newer brand of pagers used in Tuesday's blasts were obtained over six months ago, although their route into Lebanon remains unknown.

Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo confirmed on Wednesday that it had authorised the use of its brand on the AR-924 pager model, but clarified that the devices were produced and sold by Budapest-based company BAC Consulting KFT.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs stated that it had no record of direct exports of Gold Apollo pagers to Lebanon. A Hungarian government spokesperson later added that the pager devices had never been in Hungary, explaining that BAC had simply acted as a go-between.

Speculation is rife over the origins of the devices that exploded Wednesday. An exec at the US arm of a Japanese walkie-talkie firm Icom spilled to The Associated Press that the radios detonated in Lebanon appear to be fakes, not Icom-made.

"I can guarantee you they were not our products," revealed Ray Novak, senior sales honcho for Icom's amateur radio unit, chatting at a Rhode Island trade fair on Wednesday.

He said that Icom dropped the V-82 model years ago. It was aimed at ham radio buffs and for social or crisis chit-chat like tracking storms, he added.

So what led these gadgets to explode?

Tuesday's bangs probably came from mucked-up supply chains, say boffins chatting with The Associated Press suggesting teensy bombs might've been tucked into the beepers before they got to Hezbollah, then zapped off together, maybe by radio wave. This fits with gossip from a US bod.

A former UK Army bomb squad guru broke down an explosive gizmo's guts: A casing, power source, trigger, detonator, and the boom stuff. "A pager has three of those already," revealed an ex-officer who requested anonymity due to his current role as a consultant with Middle East clientele. "You would only need to add the detonator and the charge."

This hints at the involvement of a nation state, said Sean Moorhouse, a former British Army officer and expert in explosive ordinance disposal, suggesting that Israel's secret service, Mossad, with its extensive history of similar offensive operations, was the prime candidate with the capability for such an undertaking.

The extent and particulars of Wednesday's blasts remain shrouded in mystery. Yet, subsequent reports indicating further electronic devices detonating hint at a deeper level of boobytrap-style sabotage within Lebanons logistical frameworks, compounding the fears of unknown entities possessing these tampered gadgets.

As for the timeline, orchestrating such a comprehensive strike would not be swift work. The time required is still up for debate, but industry experts discussing Tuesday's blasts with AP conjecture a timeframe ranging from several months up to a two-year plan.

Nicholas Reese, an adjunct instructor at the Center for Global Affairs in New York University's School of Professional Studies, explained that the sophistication of the attack suggests a long-term intelligence gathering operation. He said that such an attack would require building relationships to gain physical access to the pagers before they were sold, developing the technology to be embedded in the devices, and cultivating sources who could confirm that the targets were carrying the pagers.

Magnier, citing conversations with Hezbollah contacts, said the group is currently investigating the type of explosives used in the device. They suspect it was either RDX or PETN, highly explosive materials that can cause significant damage with as little as 3-5 grams.

The group is also questioning whether the device had a GPS system allowing Israel to track the movement of its members.

N. R. Jenzen-Jones, director of the Australian-based Armament Research Services and an expert in military arms, added that "such a large-scale operation also raises questions of targeting". He highlighted the high number of casualties and the enormous impact reported so far.

He questioned: "How can the party initiating the explosive be sure that a target's child, for example, is not playing with the pager at the time it functions? ".

Middle East tech explosions - Q&A

What has happened?

Only the day after pagers used by hundreds of members of militant group Hezbollah exploded, more electronic devices detonated across Lebanon on Wednesday in an apparent second wave of sophisticated attack.

Why use pagers?

For years, Hezbollah has used pagers as a way to communicate. More recently, Hezbollah’s leader warned members not to carry mobiles – saying they could be used by Israel to track the group's movements.

How many people have been hurt or killed?

On Tuesday at least 12 people, including two children, were said to have been killed – with nearly 3,000 injured. And yesterday [Wednesday], as many as 450 people were wounded and 14 reportedly left dead by a second wave of exploding electronic devices across multiple regions of Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said.

Who is behind this?

Both attacks are widely believed to be carried out by Israel – heightening fears the conflict could escalate.

Who is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon. In 2001, the UK government proscribed its external security organisation and in 2008 extended this to include the whole of its military apparatus. The UK government says on its website: “Hizballah is committed to armed resistance to the state of Israel and aims to seize all Palestinian territories and Jerusalem from Israel. It supports terrorism in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.”