Lebanon’s health minister reported that nine people were killed and around 2,800 injured on Tuesday when pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded across the country. Among the victims was the son of Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar, according to a source close to the group. Initial reports also mentioned the death of another lawmaker’s son, Hassan Fadlallah, but it was later clarified that he was injured, not killed.
Health Minister Firass Abiad provided an update, stating that 200 of the injured were in critical condition, with injuries primarily to the face, hands, and stomach. A 10-year-old girl, the daughter of a Hezbollah member, was among the dead in the Bekaa Valley, and Iran’s ambassador to Beirut sustained minor injuries in the blasts.
In Syria, 14 people were also injured from similar pager explosions, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Israeli military declined to comment on the incidents.