In a dizzying turn of events that continue to plague the capital city of Lebanon, Beirut has just witnessed another deadly wave of explosions that have driven the region into full-blown unrest. Communication devices, particularly pagers and walkie-talkies, were said to be responsible for the blasts that killed at least 14 people and injured more than 450. The explosions were the result of pager blasts that had hit the city a day earlier, killing 12 people and injuring over 2,500.

What happened?

According to international news agencies AFP and Reuters, the recent blasts occurred during the funeral of Hezbollah members who were killed the day before by pager blasts. The blasts happened in Hezbollah-dominated southern Beirut areas and neighboring places. The Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed the death toll and number of injuries, but local hospitals continue treating the wounded-many in critical condition.

Security sources said some of the explosions were detonated inside vehicles while others targeted the funeral procession. The walkie-talkies and pagers that exploded in earlier cases were purchased reportedly five months ago.

A Look at the Larger Context: Background

The two tragic explosions go well beyond the simple malfunction of communication equipment. In fact, Hezbollah is a particularly powerful Shiite militant group backed by Iran and has long been in the spotlight as a central figure on the political and military landscape in Lebanon. Recently, it has been facing rising tensions with Israel, which complicated the situation much further in the region.

The second wave blasts come with Hezbollah describing the missile strikes that hit Israeli military positions. In this, it quoted retaliatory strikes against what it described as Israeli involvement in the attacks. Israel has not responded to the accusations and counterattacks by Hezbollah so far.

Pager blasts had been said to be in connection with the first explosion containing pagers, a day prior to that killing more than a dozen, including Hezbollah high-profile figures and some Iranian diplomats. Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad delivered a statement to the public during a press conference regarding the situation, where he declared that pager blasts have also been on record throughout the country, injuring thousands.

Who is Responsible?

Blaming Israel for the attacks, Hezbollah has claimed that the country was conducting cyber-attacks to detonate communication devices. The group has threatened retaliation, stating that cyber operations carried out by Israel will not go unchecked. However, silence from Israeli officials has fired speculations but left many questions unanswered.

This is especially horrifying given that both pagers and walkie-talkies were used as explosive devices. This marks the culmination of a new form of sophistication in cyber warfare and terrorism. Cyber security experts believe that the device was hacked and then triggered remotely. This would provide an indication that whoever planned the attacks had mature technological capabilities to conclude with.

What’s Next for Lebanon?

Lebanon experienced a state of political instability, economic collapse, and social unrest leading to this crisis in Lebanon-the explosions that claimed many lives and further pushed the already restless region into turmoil.

The situation is still tense and remains volatile between Hezbollah and Israel. It seems that both parties are prepared for more escalations. For the people of Beirut, who have long lived with the possibility of violence in their city, this latest incident adds to the uncertainty of their future.

The next few days will surely tell whether such a cycle of bloodletting prevails or cooler heads win so that there will be no bloodletting.

Final Thoughts

This series of tragic explosions served to remind one about the fragility of peace in Lebanon – a country tested many times from within and without. While for now, all minds may turn to assisting the wounded and mourning the dead, questions as to who was behind these attacks still remain unanswered.

One thing is clear in this investigation: Beirut is once again right in the middle of a dangerous game of power where innocent lives are caught in the crossfire.

Sources:https://www.bbc.com/

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