Fri Sep 20 11:19:00 UTC 2024: ## Lebanon rocked by deadly pager and walkie-talkie explosions, raising fears of wider conflict
**Beirut, Lebanon** – A series of deadly explosions targeting Hezbollah communication devices in Lebanon has left at least 37 people dead, including two children, and over 3,000 injured. The explosions, which began on Tuesday with pagers and continued on Wednesday with walkie-talkies, have triggered a major escalation in tensions between Lebanon and Israel.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group, has blamed Israel for the attacks, accusing them of orchestrating the explosions. Israel has not yet commented on the allegations. Following the attacks, Israel launched a series of air strikes in retaliation.
In response to the escalating crisis, the UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, chaired an emergency COBRA meeting on Friday to discuss the situation in Lebanon and ensure the UK is prepared for any potential escalation that might require the evacuation of British nationals. The meeting followed an unprecedented wave of attacks against Hezbollah communication devices.
The meeting was held to ensure the UK is ready for any eventuality, with the military having been put on standby over the summer to launch an emergency evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon when tensions between Israel and Hezbollah previously escalated. Two ships were already deployed in the region and additional troops were sent to a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus to assist with any evacuation.
While the threat of immediate escalation had been deemed to have passed in recent weeks, the UK has ramped up preparedness levels again following the latest flare-up in tensions. The UK government has advised British nationals to leave Lebanon now while commercial routes remain available, citing the safety of its citizens as the top priority.
First Piper 