What we know about the pager attacks on Hezbollah

Apparent cyber attack on group's communication system leaves eight dead and thousands wounded across Lebanon

An explosion in a man's bag at a supermarket in Beirut, Lebanon. This was one of many incidents where pagers blew up on Tuesday September 17, maiming and killing users. Reuters

Ambulances are surrounded by people at the entrance of the American University of Beirut Medical Centre as casualties of the wave of explosions are brought in. AFP

A stretcher bearing an injured person is taken to American University of Beirut Medical Centre. Reuters

A man donates blood in the southern Lebanese city of Saida after a wave of injuries and fatalities in pager explosions. AFP

Friends and relatives of injured people arrive at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre. EPA

An ambulance arrives at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre. EPA

Ali Ammar, Hezbollah member of the Lebanese Parliament, accepts condolences for his son, who was killed in the detonation of pagers for which Hezbollah blamed Israel. Reuters

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Exploding pagers left at least eight people dead and thousands wounded in Lebanon on Tuesday in an apparent cyber attack on Hezbollah's communications system.

Hand-held devices detonated simultaneously in several locations around the country, according to the group. Here's what we know so far about the attacks:

Where did the attacks happen?

Explosions were reported in southern Beirut, in south Lebanon as well as the Bekaa Valley in the east. Images on social media showed victims in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh lying on the ground next to the remains of their devices.

At Maqassed Hospital in the Tariq Jdeedeh neighbourhood of Beirut, staff reported “at least 50" wounded, while at the nearby Geitawi Hospital at least seven were reported critically injured. The Lebanese Red Cross said more than 30 of its ambulances were being used throughout the country and that 50 additional ambulances had been put on high alert.

War monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that a communication device exploded inside a car in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

How many were killed and wounded?

Lebanon's Health Minister Firass Abiad said at a press conference that eight people had been killed including a child. About 2,800 more had been injured including 200 in critical condition, he added. Injuries were mostly to hands. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among those lightly wounded, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.

Hospitals in the capital were overwhelmed with the influx of patients, with the sound of sirens echoing through the city. The Health Ministry asked hospitals across the country to prepare themselves “to meet an urgent need for emergency health services”. It put out a call for health workers to return to hospitals as soon as possible. Citizens were urged by the Internal Security Services to clear roads to make way for rescue services.

Why are Hezbollah members using pagers?

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in February asked residents of south Lebanon to stop using mobile devices and CCTV, saying Israeli intelligence services could hack the technology and track the location of users. It is thought the Lebanese group's use of pagers was an attempt to limit communication that could be exploited by Israel.

The detonations occurred shortly after Israel’s Shin Bet security service announced it had foiled a Hezbollah plot to assassinate an Israeli former security official using a remote-detonated bomb.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said “the hand-held pagers had been detonated using advanced technology”. Iran's IRIB called the incident a “cyber attack”, while Hezbollah said they were “simultaneous explosions” and the group was carrying out an investigation.

“A number of message-receiving devices known as 'pagers' and carried by a number of people in various Hezbollah units and institutions exploded,” Hezbollah said. “The competent agencies within Hezbollah are currently conducting a wide-ranging security and scientific investigation to find out the reasons.”

Lebanon's Health Ministry called on people to refrain from using mobile devices for their safety on Tuesday in the wake of the attacks.