Lebanon pager explosion: Why were pagers used, how did they explode, and how long was the operation?

In what seems to be a coordinated, remote attack, pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members simultaneously exploded across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people, including a young girl, and injuring thousands more.

The Iran-backed militant group has accused Israel of orchestrating the deadly explosions, which affected a wide range of individuals and appeared to be part of a meticulously planned operation. The exact method of execution remains unclear, and investigators have not yet revealed how the pagers were detonated. The Israeli military has declined to comment.

Lebanon pager explosion: Why were pagers used?

Hezbollah members have been using pagers for quite some time now as smartphones carry a higher risk of intercepted communications compared to the simpler technology of pagers. Earlier, Hewzbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned members not to carry cellphones, fearing that Israel could use them to track the group’s movements.


Reese, a former intelligence officer, said that this attack would likely prompt Hezbollah to revise its communication strategies. Survivors of the explosions are expected to dispose of "not just their pagers, but also their phones, tablets, or any other electronic devices."

Lebanon pager explosion: How pagers explode?

While little has been revealed by investigators, multiple theories have surfaced regarding how the attack was executed. Experts told The Associated Press that the explosions likely stemmed from supply-chain interference.

Small explosive devices may have been built into the pagers before they reached Hezbollah, and then remotely triggered, possibly using a radio signal.

“The battery was probably half-explosive and half-actual battery,” said Carlos Perez, director of security intelligence at TrustedSec.

A former British Army bomb disposal officer explained that explosive devices consist of five main components: a container, battery, triggering device, detonator, and explosive charge.

“A pager already has three of these components,” the ex-officer explained, speaking anonymously due to his consultancy work in the Middle East. “You would only need to add the detonator and the charge.”

Security camera footage, which appeared on social media Tuesday, purportedly shows one of the pagers exploding on a man’s hip in a Lebanese market. Two munitions experts said the blast seemed to be caused by a tiny explosive device.

“Judging from the video, the detonation appears to be the result of an electric detonator or a small, high-explosive charge,” said Sean Moorhouse, a former British Army officer and explosive ordnance disposal expert.

Moorhouse suggested that the attack likely involved a state actor, adding that Israel’s Mossad is the prime suspect, given the resources needed for such an operation.

N R Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services in Australia, echoed this sentiment, stating that the scale and sophistication of the attack “almost certainly points to a state actor.” Israel has been accused of similar operations in the past, including sabotaging Iran’s ballistic missile program through faulty foreign parts.

Lebanon pager explosion: How long did this operation take?

Planning an attack of this magnitude would have taken significant time. While details remain scarce, experts estimate the operation may have taken anywhere from several months to two years.

Reese suggested that the attackers would have been gathering intelligence for a considerable period, establishing relationships to gain physical access to the pagers before their sale, developing the embedded technology, and confirming that the targets were carrying the compromised devices.

Elijah J Magnier, a Brussels-based veteran political risk analyst with over 37 years of experience in the region, said Hezbollah members indicated that the pagers were procured over six months ago.

"The pagers worked perfectly for six months," Magnier noted. He added that the explosion appeared to have been triggered by an error message sent to all the devices.

Magnier also mentioned that not all pagers detonated, allowing Hezbollah to inspect the remaining devices. Based on their findings, between 3 to 5 grams of highly explosive material had been embedded within the pagers' circuitry.

With AP Inputs