The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of 20 of its members on Thursday morning, following a second wave of explosions that struck communication devices in several areas controlled by the political and military movement. This comes just hours after the blasts occurred, as reported by EFE.
In a series of statements, Hezbollah revealed that most of the fatalities took place in the Bekaa Valley region. Among the dead was a minor, born in 2008. As is typical, Hezbollah did not provide details about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of its fighters. However, the death toll aligns with the official numbers announced by Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
According to the latest data from government sources, the explosions on Wednesday caused 20 deaths and left over 450 people injured across various parts of the country. The second wave of blasts occurred just 24 hours after the first, which targeted pagers of Hezbollah members, resulting in 12 deaths, including two children, and approximately 2,800 injured, many of whom were civilians, according to Health Minister Firas Abiad.
While Hezbollah has not yet commented on the latest series of explosions, it previously attributed the initial wave of attacks to Israel. The group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is set to deliver a televised speech on Thursday at 5:00 PM local time (14:00 GMT). This will be his first public address since the events, fueling renewed fears of a potential open conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
