Hezbollah Says Israel Carried Out Pager Attack, Promises 'Retribution'

The Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah has promised "retribution" on Israel for a major attack on its personnel today that it claims was carried out by Israel. Lebanon’s health minister said at least eight people had been killed and more than 2,700 others injured in the attack, which appears to have been conducted through rigged pager devices.

• The group said in a second statement on the attack: “After examining all the facts, data, and information regarding the sinful attack that occurred this afternoon, we hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression..."
• Statement: "This treacherous and criminal enemy will certainly face its just retribution for this sinful aggression, from places expected and unexpected, and God is witness to our promise.”
• The attack, which has caused mass casualties across Lebanon, comes after days of heightened tensions, with Israeli officials considering stepping up their military operations against the group to demilitarise the border region and allow displaced Israelis to return to their homes.
• Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a national security think tank, said: “This looks to be perhaps the most extensive physical supply-chain attack in history — substituting imported devices with those containing explosives and triggering them all at the same time through some sort of command and control channel,” per the Washington Post.