New wave of blasts hits Lebanon a day after pager attack, scores wounded

Lebanon's state-run media said exploding devices critically injured hundreds of people in the east on Wednesday, with a medical source saying 15 were in critical condition, with similar blasts reported in other Hizbollah strongholds.

"Three martyrs fell after devices exploded in the town of Sohmor," the state-run National News Agency said, with a hospital source in the city of Baalbek telling AFP 15 people had been wounded after walkie-talkies exploded.

Many of the wounds were to the stomach and hands, a security source said.

Hizbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating.

The new blasts come with Lebanon still thrown into confusion and anger after the Tuesday's pager bombings, which appeared to be a complex Israeli attack targeting Hizbollah members. At least 12 people were killed, including two children, and some 2,800 people wounded as hundreds of pagers used by Hizbollah members began detonating in several parts of Lebanon and in Syria.

New details on the operation began to emerge. The pagers were made by a company based in Hungary, another firm said on Wednesday.

An American official said Israel briefed the United States after the attack, in which small amounts of explosive had been hidden in the pagers. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the information publicly.

The attack, which Israel has not commented on, renewed fears that the simmering conflict between Israel and Hizbollah could escalate into all-out war. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday the US is still assessing how the attack could affect efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Agencies