Hezbollah's pagers explosion: Israel planned operation for at least 15 years
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Israel was involved in the production of Hezbollah militants' pagers that exploded in Lebanon this week. The operation had been in preparation for at least 15 years, citing ABC News.
A source within US intelligence indicated that Israel may have been planning an operation against Hezbollah militants for at least 15 years. According to the source, the CIA had long been reluctant to use this tactic due to the high risk posed to civilians.
It was reported that front companies connected to Israeli intelligence officers participated in planning the attack. These companies acted as a cover for the actual manufacturer of the pagers, and some employees were unaware of who they were working for.
According to ABC's source, the pagers contained one to two ounces of explosives and a remote switch to trigger the explosion.
ABC reached out to the Hungarian company BAC Consulting, which had contracted with Gold Apollo in Taiwan for the production of the pagers. However, neither company responded to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Hungarian government said that the pagers had never been in Hungary and that the company was "a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary."
Pager explosions in Lebanon
On September 17, explosions occurred in Lebanon. It was later revealed that pagers used by Hezbollah militants had detonated.
The following day, a second wave of explosions occurred in Lebanon. Media reported that this time, radios used by some Hezbollah militants for communication exploded. More details on the explosions in Lebanon and their aftermath can be found in the RBC-Ukraine report.
According to Lebanon’s Minister of Health, at least 37 people were killed and about 3,000 injured in the explosions over the two days.
It is also worth noting that Israel carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon yesterday, September 19.
