"Pager" explosions spread to Syria, target Hezbollah members

Shafaq News/ In a shocking development, the security breach that targeted the communication devices (pagers) used by Hezbollah members in Beirut has swiftly spread to Syria, causing incidents within minutes, on Tuesday.

Syrian media reported that several Hezbollah members in Syria were injured following explosions involving communication devices they were carrying. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a vehicle exploded on the Kfar Souseh road in Damascus due to an explosion of a pager inside it.

SOHR stated that numerous Hezbollah members were admitted to hospitals in Damascus and the surrounding Rif Dimashq province. This attack marks the first reported cyber assault by Israel targeting communication devices widely used by Hezbollah members in both Lebanon and Syria.

In a related incident, hundreds of Hezbollah members were seriously injured in southern Beirut after their pagers exploded. Security sources estimate that over 1,000 people have been affected by these explosions.

A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said the detonation of the pagers was the "biggest security breach" the group had been subjected to in nearly a year of war with Israel.

Israel did not comment on the incident.

Hezbollah-affiliated outlets claim that Israel can remotely detonate devices, either by causing their batteries to explode or by rigging the batteries themselves with small amounts of explosives, ranging from 10 to 20 grams. These devices are typically worn on the waist or kept in a pocket.

Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had previously warned his fighters against using smartphones. A few months ago, Nasrallah issued orders for them to stop using the devices, highlighting Israel’s advanced technology that allows it to infiltrate and compromise smartphone communications.