Hezbollah pagers explode, injuring the Iranian ambassador's face and eyes
Hezbollah pagers exploded, damaging the face and eyes of the Iranian ambassador and killing several people in Lebanon.
The state-run Tasnim news agency reported: "Mojtaba Amanihamedani was injured in the hand and face when a pager belonging to one of his bodyguards exploded."
A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told the New York Times: "Pagers distributed by Hezbollah beeped for a few seconds before exploding, causing users to hold the pagers close to their eyes and face to read the message. A pager belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran's ambassador to Beirut also rang for a few seconds before he picked it up."
Published reports of the incident indicate that the Islamic Republic's ambassador lost one eye and his other eye was also severely injured in the explosion, but Tasnim News Agency described his general condition as favorable in its reports.
The pagers, which are said to number in the thousands, exploded simultaneously and in coordination yesterday, September 17, in various parts of Lebanon, especially in southern Beirut and the south of the country, which are two of Hezbollah's most influential regions. As a result of these explosions, about 9 people were killed and 3,000 others were injured in various parts of the body, with 200 of the injured reported to be in serious condition.
Many of the dead and injured were reported to be members of the Hezbollah militia, which is backed by the Islamic Republic government. Lebanese authorities, the Islamic Republic, the Hezbollah militia, and Hamas have all pointed the finger of blame at Israel, but Israel has not yet claimed responsibility for the explosions.
The United States also called on the Islamic Republic to refrain from actions that would lead to further instability and increased tension after the explosion of pager devices used by members of Lebanon's Hezbollah.
