A series of explosions in Lebanon over two consecutive days left 32 people dead and over 3,000 injured, targeting Hezbollah members using rigged pagers and walkie-talkies. The blasts, which took place in Hezbollah strongholds, have sparked accusations that Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, orchestrated the attack.
According to a report by The New York Times, Israeli intelligence allegedly set up a front company, BAC Consulting, in Hungary to manufacture the explosive devices that Hezbollah operatives unknowingly used. The report claims that BAC was one of several shell companies created by Mossad to supply pagers rigged with Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN), a powerful explosive. Citing three Israeli intelligence officers, The New York Times reported that Israel did not simply tamper with the devices during distribution, but rather manufactured them from the outset. The rigged pagers were distributed under the guise of standard communications devices provided by Taiwan-based Gold Apollo.
Here’s more information on the Gold Apollo Rugged Pager AR924:
Manufacturer:Apollo Gold(Taiwan)
Distributor:Apollo Systems HK (Hong Kong)
Amcom and Gold Apollo are connected through a distribution partnership:
Amcom:(now part of Spok)
Headquarters: Springfield, Virginia, USA pic.twitter.com/rYospHzO7p
— Global Media (@Global_Mediaa) September 18, 2024
Gold Apollo, a pager manufacturer, confirmed its association with BAC Consulting but distanced itself from the explosions, stating that it had only authorized BAC to use its branding. “The design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,” the company said in a statement. BAC’s CEO, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, told NBC News, “I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong,” denying involvement in the manufacturing process.
In response, Hungary also denied any direct involvement, stating that BAC was merely an intermediary. Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said on X (formerly Twitter), “Authorities have confirmed that the company in question is a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary. It has one manager registered at its declared address, and the referenced devices have never been in Hungary.”
The first wave of explosions occurred on Tuesday, when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated across Lebanon, killing 12 and injuring nearly 3,000. The following day, walkie-talkies, reportedly purchased by Hezbollah five months earlier, exploded in a similar fashion, killing 20 people and wounding hundreds more. Both devices contained PETN, a material commonly used in military-grade explosives.
🚨🇱🇧 WIDE SCALE TERRORIST ATTACK ON LEBANON
Thousands of pagers simultaneously exploded all over the country, causing mass injuries, and 8 deaths so far. pic.twitter.com/JdmLQsG83f
— Expat Vibes (@expatvibes) September 17, 2024
A source within Lebanese security told Reuters that the walkie-talkies used in Wednesday’s blasts bore the label of Japanese company ICOM. ICOM confirmed that the devices were part of a discontinued model series, manufactured between 2004 and 2014, and stated that counterfeit versions of its products may have been involved in the attack.
Looks like Icom walkie talkie pic.twitter.com/R8t4KMHrtK
— Ankiit Koomar (@AnkiitKoomar) September 18, 2024
A Hezbollah spokesperson, however, vowed retaliation, saying the group would seek a “severe reckoning” for what it described as a “massacre” against its people. The group’s official statement blamed Israel directly for the explosions.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, speaking to Israeli troops on Wednesday, said, “We are at the start of a new phase in the war—it requires courage, determination, and perseverance,” without making direct reference to the explosions.
The escalating violence between Hezbollah and Israel comes amid heightened tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border, where clashes have been ongoing since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Thousands of residents in northern Israel and southern Lebanon have fled their homes due to the cross-border skirmishes. Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi warned that more operations may be forthcoming, saying, “We have many capabilities that we have not yet employed,” during a visit to Israel’s Northern Command.
Authorities in Lebanon, Bulgaria, and Hungary are continuing to investigate the origin and manufacturing process of the explosive-laden devices. Bulgaria’s state security agency, DANS, announced that it is investigating a Sofia-based company, Norta Global Ltd, which may have facilitated the sale of the pagers. So far, Norta Global has not responded to inquiries.
Expanded Coverage:
