Toll from Israeli attack on Lebanon rises to 12 martyrs, ~2800 injured

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
18 Sep 2024 15:33
4 Shares

The Lebanese Minister of Health announces the most recent tally of casualties from the Israeli terror attack, including the number of injured and martyrs, in a press conference in Beirut.

Listen

An ambulance carries wounded people whose handheld pager exploded in an Israeli terror attack, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP)

Lebanon's Minister of Health, Firass Abiad, announced that the number of martyrs from the Israeli aggression on Lebanon has risen to 12, "including two children and several healthcare workers."

The total number of injured, the minister explained, is estimated to be between 2,700 and 2,800, with 1,850 in Beirut and its southern suburbs, 750 in the south, and 150 in the Bekaa region.

Abiad noted that "1,800 injured individuals required hospitalization yesterday, with 10% of them in critical condition."

The minister also praised the swift and effective response of Lebanon’s medical sector which displayed "national solidarity," while highlighting that "the injuries were attended to, and the necessary first aid was provided".

Regarding foreign medical aid, Abiad mentioned the arrival of shipments from "Iraq, Iran, and Jordan," and stated that some of the injured were evacuated to Syria, with others sent to Iran.

The Minister also urged the media "to exercise caution when reporting information and to be mindful of rumors, especially in these challenging times."

Explosives used in pager attack can bypass scanning: Security sources

Security sources spoke to Al Mayadeen about the Israeli occupation's terrorist attack which detonated pagers among Lebanese civilians in the south, Beirut, and the Bekaa regions. The source revealed that "Israel" used an international company, a civilian device, along with control over the cyber world, and made a decision to deliberately commit mass murder.

Moreover, the sources stressed that "In addition to its unprecedented military crimes in Gaza, Israel has, through this aggression, violated rules prohibited in all security wars."

The sources explained that the material used in the complex operation could bypass all scanning equipment available even in countries and airports around the world as the explosive material is undetectable. In other words, the explosive material is "specially designed for this mission."

Contrary to initial assumptions, it was not the pager batteries that caused the explosions, but the lithium within them that caused the detonation. The blast was triggered through advanced technology, which transmitted a message activating the explosives.

Additionally, the sources revealed that the explosives, often waist-strapped, were intended to cause maximum harm by directly impacting the body. It was noted that pager units that were either turned off or located in areas without coverage did not explode, as well as older pager models.

That being said, the sources then expanded by explaining that the pagers had been "rigged from source via their IC (Integrated Circuit) units," where the explosive material was contained.

In conclusion, the security sources reaffirmed what the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon had stated with certainty hours after the terrorist attack, stating that Israeli Mossad and Military Intelligence (Aman) were behind this aggression.