Lebanon: 20 Killed as Deadly Explosions Rip Through Hezbollah Devices, One Day After Pager Blasts

HEZBOLLAH: At least 20 people were killed, with more than 450 left injured, after walkie-talkies used by the militant group Hezbollah exploded in several areas around Lebanon.

It comes a day after a suspected strike by Israel targeted the pagers Hezbollah used for internal communication.

But civilians were also killed, at least 32 dead and over 3,000 wounded, by two explosions in a row.

These attacks have a potential impact of complicating peace efforts in an area already injured by the war in Gaza.

According to Lebanon's health ministry, 20 people were killed and over 450 wounded in the explosions on Wednesday.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blame Israel for the attack on Tuesday.

A sales executive at the US branch of Japanese walkie-talkie manufacturer Icom, speaking to The Associated Press, said the radios that exploded in Lebanon appear to be counterfeit products not even made by Icom.

Ray Novak, a senior sales manager for Icom America's amateur radio division, assured during an interview at a trade show in Providence, Rhode Island, the devices were not their products.

According to Novak, Icom produced model of two-way radio V82 more than 20 years ago, but as he pointed out it is not in production for a long time. People used it because it is a popular device among amateur radio operators, and in large extent, people utilized this radio for social or emergency purposes, such as tracking tornadoes or hurricanes.

Meanwhile, firefighters were scrambled to several houses in Lebanon to douse a string of explosions. The blazes have destroyed 60 homes, 15 cars, and dozens of motorcycles.

Gold Apollo Co., the Taiwanese company whose brand was emblazoned on the devices, said the pagers were made by BAC Consulting Kft under a commercial deal.

But, Hungary's government charged that BAC is just a "trading intermediary" and has no manufacturing or business operations whatsoever in the country. Chairman of Gold Apollo, for example, said he was shocked when BAC asked to license the manufacture of his company's AR-924 pager two years ago, but the company went ahead with what seemed like a normal business transaction.

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