Israel has just detonated explosives contained within Hezbollah walkie talkies in a second wave of explosions following the pager explosions yesterday.
Today’s explosions are said to have wounded 300 terrorists and killed at least nine.
Here’s more from Axios:
Israel blew up thousands of two-way personal radios used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon in a second wave of an intelligence operation that started on Tuesday with the explosions of pager devices, two sources with knowledge of the operation told Axios.
The second wave of clandestine attacks is another serious security breach in Hezbollah’s ranks and increases pressure on the militant Lebanese group.
Lebanon’s health ministry said nine people were killed and 300 wounded in the explosions across the country on Wednesday.
The walkie-talkies were booby-trapped in advance by Israeli intelligence services and then delivered to Hezbollah as part of the militia’s emergency communications system, which was supposed to be used during a war with Israel, the sources said.
The attack further damages Hezbollah’s military command and control system.
On Wednesday afternoon local time during the funerals of some of the Hezbollah members killed in the first attack, a second wave of explosions took place.
Videos circulating on social media showed an explosion during one of the funerals that resulted in one Hezbollah guard wounded on the floor.
Numerous other explosions were reported in Beirut and across Lebanon — some of them in apartments and houses.One source said that because they were meant to be used only during war with Israel, a large number of the walkie-talkies were in storage in Hezbollah warehouses.
The two sources said Israel’s goal in the second wave of attacks was to increase paranoia and fear in Hezbollah’s ranks, in an attempt to press the militia’s leadership to change its policy regarding the conflict with Israel.
“The goal was to convince Hezbollah that it is in its interest to disconnect itself from Hamas and cut a separate deal for ending the fighting with Israel regardless of a ceasefire in Gaza,” the source said.
After the explosions on Wednesday, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said in a visit to an Israeli Air Force base that “the center of gravity is moving from Gaza to the north through the diversion of resources and forces. We are opening a new phase in the war.”
The two sources added that the decision to conduct the second attack was also driven by the assessment that Hezbollah’s investigation into the pager explosions would likely expose the security breach in the walkie-talkies.
I literally just walked in the door from a cancer appointment I’ve had all morning so I haven’t researched any videos yet. I wanted to get this news out first, but check back in a few and I will have added some.
: Here’s the funeral video showing a two-way radio explosion:
🚨 Breaking: Thousands of Hezbollah radio devices (“Walkie-Talkie”) have exploded during the past hour, in what appears to be the second wave of the attack..
Below is a footage from today, exploding during the funeral of another Hezbollah terrorist who was killed yesterday 👇 pic.twitter.com/o3ljPtgSZo
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) September 18, 2024
