Hezbollah walkie talkies in Lebanon explode, 1 day after pager explosions kill 12 & injure over 3,000

20 people have died and over 450 others were injured after walkie talkies used by Lebanese political party Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon on Sep. 18.

According to Reuters, the incident occurred in south of Lebanon and in the suburbs of its capital Beirut.

The second wave of explosions came one day after pagers used by Hezbollah fighters exploded simultaneously on Sep. 17, killing 12 and wounding almost 3,000 others.

Pager explosions killed twelve, injured around 3,000 people

Thousands of pagers were reportedly exploded at the same time on Sep. 17, reported Al Jazeera.

Pagers used by Hezbollah operatives detonated in multiple locations within Lebanon, killing twelve and injuring 2,800 people, including civilians.

Israel and its spy agency Mossad has been accused by Hezbollah and the Lebanese government of causing the explosions.

Sources had reportedly told Reuters that Israel had planted explosive material in 5,000 pagers initially believed to be made in Taiwan.

Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran, had used AP924 pagers to communicate and prevent location-tracking by Israel.

The pagers could wirelessly receive and display text messages, but cannot be used to make calls.

Taiwanese company denies involvement

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Gold Apollo Co. has denied producing the pagers in a statement on Sep. 18, according to Taiwan English-language newspaper Taipei Times.

Founder Hsu Ching Kuang said that the product was not theirs and that "it only had our brand on it".

It was revealed that the company had authorised a Hungary-based company, BAC Consulting KFT, to use Gold Apollo’s trademark on products it manufactured and sold.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs said that Gold Apollo had only exported its products to Europe and North America in recent years.

The ministry added that the pagers produced in Taiwan can only receive signals and use AA batteries, and were not capable of causing deadly explosions.

The country's national security division is expected to launch an investigation into the case.

Exploded walkie talkies reportedly made in Japan

According to Reuters, the mass explosions occurred near a Hezbollah-organised funeral for those who died on Sep. 17 due to the pager explosions.

The walkie talkies were brought into Lebanon in April 2024, around the same time the pagers were bought.

The inside panels of the devices were reportedly labelled "ICOM" and "made in Japan".

Reuters reported that the model in question has been phased out since 2014, citing the company.

Some Hezbollah members were seen rushing to remove the batteries on the walkie talkies that had not yet exploded.

Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has called for the explosions to be investigated.

BBC quoted UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning of the risk of escalation and called on all parties to exercise restraint.

Top photos via The Patriot Voice & MenchOsint/X