Live: View of Beirut following walkie-talkie explosions as Israel blamed for pager attack

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Watch a live view of Beirut after more explosions were heard on Wednesday, 18 September, with reports emerging that hand-held walkie-talkie devices have detonated.

The blasts came a day after at least 12 people – including two children – were killed and thousands wounded after electronic pagers belonging to Hezbollah simultaneously exploded in Lebanon and Syria.

The majority of the explosions on Tuesday took place in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Additional explosions were recorded in the Syrian capital of Damascus, where Hezbollah members are based.

At least one of the additional blasts on Wednesday reportedly took place near a funeral organized by Iran-backed Hezbollah for those killed the previous day.

Israel decided to blow up the pager devices carried by militia group Hezbollah earlier than planned over fears the operation would be discovered, US officials have said.

A Lebanese security source claimed Israel’s spy agency Mossad planted explosives in thousands of the devices months before they exploded.

The Israeli military, in keeping with its policy of not remarking on attacks outside of its own territory, told The Independent that it is “refraining from commenting”.