At least eight people have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured in Lebanon after simultaneous explosions on pagers used by Hezbollah in southern Beirut and several other parts of the country.
The deaths and injuries were reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry, while the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah confirmed that an investigation into the cause was underway.
Reports say several members of the group – which is banned as a terrorist organisation in the UK, US and many other countries – were seriously injured.
Videos and photos on social media appeared to show injured people lying on the ground and others being rushed to hospitals. Unconfirmed camera footage showed explosions inside stores.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP it was “Israeli hacking”.
Another Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the triggering of the sirens was the “biggest security breach” Hezbollah had suffered in the war with Israel.
