The pagers that exploded in Lebanon this week were mined before entering the country and detonated after receiving an email, France Presse reports, citing a letter from Lebanon’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the targeted devices were professionally mined before arriving in Lebanon and detonated after emails were sent to the devices.” — the agency quotes words from a document in its possession.
Communications equipment, including pagers and walkie-talkies, was detonated in different parts of Lebanon on September 17 and 18. According to official figures, 37 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured. Hezbollah and the Lebanese authorities blamed Israel for the incident. Israeli authorities have yet to confirm or deny their involvement.
Earlier, the New York Times, citing three intelligence officials briefed on the operation, reported that Israel had set up a front company to produce explosive pagers that were then shipped to Lebanon. The American television channel ABC News, citing a CIA source, says the operation to detonate pagers in Lebanon had been planned for at least 15 years.
