Exploding pagers in Lebanon paralyze Hezbollah communications. The attack bears the signature of the Israeli secret service Mossad.
Tel Aviv/Beirut – The events of September 17 in Lebanon could have come straight out of a spy movie. Pagers that were in use nationwide suddenly exploded. These small electronic devices were used by the Hezbollah used for communication to evade eavesdropping attempts by Western intelligence services and states. However, it seems that Israel managed to install explosives in several hundred to a thousand of these devices, which led to a simultaneous explosion.
Many now suspect that the Israeli secret service Mossad is behind the attack on the terrorist organization Hezbollah. Reports from the New York Times According to and other media, a total of 11 people were killed and at least 2,700 injured in the pager attack on Hezbollah. It is believed that the electronic devices received a message at 3:30 p.m. – supposedly from the Hezbollah leadership. After a few moments of beeping, the pagers exploded.
Hezbollah pagers are said to have been distributed primarily to high-ranking Hezbollah members
Israeli intelligence expert Schlomo Shpiro commented on the incident on the news channel WorldIf Israel is actually behind the attack, it would be a clear sign that the Israeli government has lost patience with Hezbollah. “The daily rocket attacks from Lebanon and that is a major success, a major blow against Hezbollah. Especially because these encrypted pagers … were only distributed to relatively high-ranking and active members of Hezbollah.”
The pagers are said to have been made by Taiwanese company Gold Apollo and imported into Lebanon. Gold Apollo announced that Hungarian manufacturer BAC Consulting was responsible for producing the pagers and that they had licensed their product to the company. Gold Apollo had authorized BAC “to use our trademark to sell products in certain regions, with the development and manufacture of the products being fully handled by BAC,” according to a statement from the Taiwanese company.
The Mossad has installed a circuit board with explosive material in the device that receives a code. It is very difficult to detect it by any means.
BAC Consulting’s website is currently unavailable (as of September 18). Hsu Ching-kuang, head of Gold Apollo, noted that BAC Consulting’s transfers were “very strange” because the payments came through the Middle East.
Pager attack could represent a possible escalation between Hezbollah and Israel
Shpiro believes that the situation could now escalate due to the attack. “One thing is certain, the intelligence services of Hezbollah and Iran are working at full speed to find out how this attack was carried out, what equipment was involved and how it was detonated remotely.” The expert also stressed that the attack had a psychological effect on Hezbollah. Israel can reach the organization anywhere, no member is safe. “This strong feeling of insecurity can have serious consequences in Hezbollah.”
The Lebanese security authorities blame the Mossad for the attack. A Lebanese official told Reuters about the bombs: “The Mossad has built a circuit board with explosive material into the device that receives a code. It is very difficult to detect it by any means. Even with any device or scanner.” It is believed that between 30 and 60 grams of explosives were built into the pager.
How Mossad operates: Pager attack in Lebanon could fit Israel’s secret service
Hezbollah, which operates mainly from Lebanon and is an ally of the radical Islamic Hamas is, fires regularly fire rockets at Israelto support them. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are supported by Iran. Hezbollah has announced a “punishment for the blatant aggression” against Israel. Israel itself has not yet commented on the attack, neither the Israeli military nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Such an attack would not be the first by the Mossad. The Israeli secret service was created shortly after the founding of the Israeli state to protect the young country from attacks by the surrounding Arab states. The secret service also hunted Nazis after the Second World War, such as Klaus Barbie and Josef Mengele.
On January 5, 1996, for example, the Mossad managed to eliminate the Palestinian terrorist Yahya Ayyash. In a similar incident, while Ayyash was on the phone, his cell phone, which was laced with 15 grams of plastic explosive, exploded. Ayyash manufactured bombs for Hamas that were used in numerous suicide attacks. (sure)
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