After blasts, Lebanon bans walkie-talkies and pagers from flights leaving Beirut

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported after thousands of such devices exploded during deadly attacks on Hezbollah this week.

The Lebanese civilian aviation directorate asked airlines operating from Beirut to tell passengers that walkie-talkies and pagers were banned until further notice. Such devices were also banned from being shipped by air, the Lebanese state news agency reported.

At least 37 people were killed and more than 3,000 wounded when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded in two waves of attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Lebanese officials. An Israeli report Wednesday said Jerusalem believes the death toll to be higher than reported, with Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit hit hard by the attacks.

Lebanon and Hezbollah, a heavily armed terror group backed by Iran, say Israel carried out the attack.

Israel has not claimed responsibility.

The Lebanese army said on Thursday it was destroying pagers and suspicious telecom devices in controlled blasts in various areas. It called on citizens to report any suspicious devices.

A man holds a walkie-talkie device with the logo of Japanese firm Icom, after he removed the battery during the funeral of persons killed when pagers distributed to Hezbollah operatives exploded across Lebanon the previous day, in an attack blamed on Israel, in Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 18, 2024. (Anwar Amro/AFP)

Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.

So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 20 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.

Hezbollah has named 478 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon, but some also in Syria. Another 79 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have also been killed.