Israel was behind Lebanon pager attack targeting Hezbollah, senior US official says, as new blasts reported
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A senior U.S. official has confirmed to Fox News that Israel is behind the explosions of pagers used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon as fresh blasts are being reported in Beirut.
Near-simultaneous detonations of pagers used by those belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded nearly 3,000 on Tuesday.
The development comes as multiple blasts were heard in Beruit on Wednesday during a funeral for Hezbollah members and a child that were killed in Tuesday’s explosions, according to The Associated Press.
Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating.
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Hezbollah also is claiming Wednesday to have attacked Israeli artillery positions with rockets in the wake of the blasts, Reuters reports.
An American official told the AP that Israel briefed the United States after Tuesday’s attack, in which small amounts of explosives hidden in pagers were detonated. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the information publicly.
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When asked this morning about Tuesday’s pager explosions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “the United States, did not know about, nor was it involved in, these incidents.”
“And we’re still gathering, the information and gathering the facts. Broadly speaking, we’ve been very clear, and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we’re trying to resolve in Gaza,” Blinken added. “To see it spread to other fronts. It’s clearly not in the interest of anyone involved to see that happen. And that’s why, again, it’s imperative that all parties refrain from any actions that could escalate the conflict.”
The Israel Defense Forces also announced Wednesday that troops in its Northern Command are continuing “offensive and defensive activity.”
“This week, two brigade-level exercises of the 179th and 769th Brigades took place. The exercises, which focused on readiness for terrain in the north, included simulating operations in enemy territory, evacuating wounded from the field under fire, the operations of the various headquarters, and defending the northern region,” it said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.