Additional Coverage:
- Hezbollah members were likely holding pagers with both hands when they exploded due to a dark feature: report (newsbreak.com)
Last month, a devastating explosion ripped through Lebanon, injuring thousands and killing dozens. The targets were electronic devices used by Hezbollah fighters, including pagers and walkie-talkies.
A new report reveals a chilling detail about the pagers: they were designed with a deadly feature that made them even more dangerous. The pagers had a two-step decryption process that required users to hold the device with both hands while reading encrypted messages. This meant that when the devices detonated, victims would likely suffer severe injuries to both hands, impairing their ability to fight back.
While Israel has not officially claimed responsibility, it is widely believed to be behind the attack. The explosions were remotely triggered, and the added decryption feature suggests a calculated and precise operation.
Hezbollah had recently switched to pagers from cellphones to evade Israeli intelligence, but the covert operation proved devastating. Emirates airline has since banned pagers and walkie-talkies on flights, citing the potential for further attacks.