Health Authorities Urge Caution After Handheld Device Explosions in Lebanon

Lebanese health officials ordered the public Tuesday to avoid using handheld communication devices after members of the militant group Hezbollah's pagers reportedly exploded throughout the country. Al-Manar, a Lebanese television station run by Iran-backed Hezbollah, said the devices exploded in the hands of their holders in a number of Lebanese regions. Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, was also injured in an explosion, according to the country’s embassy. In a post on X, it described his injuries as superficial, and added that Amani was in a good condition. Large numbers of people with various injuries are arriving at Lebanese hospitals, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said, according to the state-run Lebanese National News Agency. The ministry requests all citizens who own wireless communication devices to stay away from them until the truth of what is happening is revealed,

the National News Agency quoted the health ministry as saying. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati's office stated that ministers were informed of security incidents in a number of regions across the country. The explosions occurred a day after Israel announced a new war objective, fueling fears of a new military offensive in Lebanon. It also warned the U.S. that military action would likely be the only way to address mounting hostilities with Hezbollah. Lebanon's Red Cross said it deployed 30 ambulances to respond to explosion injuries, with an additional 50 vehicles on standby. The country's civil emergency authority urged citizens to donate blood at hospitals.