According to Times of Israel, Around 500 members of Hezbollah have reportedly lost their eyesight following a series of devastating pager explosions that occurred across Lebanon and Syria.
The explosions, which took place on Tuesday, have been attributed to a coordinated attack that targeted handheld communication devices used by the Iran-backed militant group. According to Saudi TV channel Al-Hadath, the scale of injuries is unprecedented, with many victims suffering severe damage to their eyes.
The pagers had been acquired after Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, ordered members to stop using cellphones in February, citing concerns that they could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. A Hezbollah official confirmed that the pagers were a new brand but declined to provide details on how long they had been in use. The blasts resulted in at least nine fatalities and approximately 2,800 injuries, overwhelming hospitals throughout the region.
Experts believe the explosions indicate a sophisticated operation, possibly involving the infiltration of the supply chain to rig the pagers with explosives before they were distributed. This theory has gained traction as reports suggest that the detonations were not random accidents but rather part of a coordinated attack aimed at crippling Hezbollah’s communication capabilities. The nature of the injuries—particularly the significant number of eye-related casualties—has raised alarms about the effectiveness of Hezbollah’s security measures.
Hezbollah has publicly blamed Israel for the explosions, asserting that “the Israeli enemy will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression.” The group has vowed to retaliate against what it describes as a deliberate act of aggression targeting both its operatives and civilians. The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also reported among those injured in the blasts.
In response to the incident, Lebanese authorities have advised citizens who own similar communication devices to dispose of them immediately. Hospitals across Lebanon are on high alert, with emergency services overwhelmed by the influx of injured individuals. Many victims are reported to have sustained severe injuries primarily to their faces and hands, with over 200 individuals classified as critically wounded.
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