At the time of publication, The Associated Press was currently leading its coverage of the attack with the line, “Walkie-talkies and solar equipment exploded in Beirut and multiple parts of Lebanon on Wednesday.” It later added that “a girl was hurt in the south when a solar energy system blew up, the state news agency reported.” Whether this actually happened, or if it was in any way connected with the attacks, remains unclear.
The Jerusalem Post rounded up a slew of rumors making the rounds in the region, some far less plausible than others:
Unofficial reports claimed that iPhones, video cameras, IC-V82 radios, and other devices also detonated.
According to unconfirmed reports, Hezbollah has told its operatives to distance itself from communication devices.
Unofficial reports also claimed that Hezbollah told its members to dispose of devices containing a lithium battery or that are connected to the internet.
Additional unconfirmed reports claimed that lithium batteries for solar energy storage had detonated and that some houses were on fire.
Yesterday, multiple news outlets reported that the pager attacks had been caused by explosives built into the devices, likely as part of an Israeli supply chain attack.
Today, similar reporting suggests the same kind of attack was used against the two-way radios. Axios cited two of its own sources who confirmed that 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,” adding 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.”
