Hezbollah Pagers Explode in Apparent Attack Across Lebanon

Pagers carried by thousands of Hezbollah operatives exploded at about the same time Tuesday afternoon in what appeared to be an unprecedented attack that authorities said injured more than 2,700 and killed eight across Lebanon.

The affected pagers were from a new shipment that the group received in recent days, people familiar with the matter said. A Hezbollah official said many fighters had such devices, speculating that malware might have caused the devices to explode. The official said some people felt the pagers heat up and disposed of them before they burst.

Hezbollah said a number of pagers carried by its members exploded simultaneously at 3:30 p.m. local time. It couldn’t immediately be determined what caused the blasts, which were spread out across the country in several areas where Hezbollah has a heavy presence.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for the attack. Both said civilians were killed, and Hezbollah threatened to retaliate. The Israeli military declined to comment.

Randa Slim, director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C., said the attack against Hezbollah operatives is historic in its scope and manner, one that took significant planning and preparation.

“It sends a significant message to Hezbollah leadership that, ‘We can get you anywhere,’” said Slim. “And it very much affects morale.”

Last week, Israel carried out an ambitious commando raid in Syria to destroy a suspected Iranian military facility supplying Hezbollah, U.S. officials said.

More From The Wall Street Journal (subscription required):