Beirut. A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that "several hundred" people, including members of the group, were wounded across Lebanon when their handheld pagers exploded. He also confirmed that some Hezbollah fighters in Syria were injured due to similar incidents.

Dozens of people, including Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, were reported injured after pager explosions rocked Beirut's suburbs and other regions on Tuesday. While the number of fatalities was not immediately clear, a senior military intelligence official and another with knowledge of the situation suggested the explosions may have been an Israeli attack, specifically targeting Hezbollah.

Iran's semi-official news outlets, including Fars and Mehr agencies, reported that Iran's ambassador, Mojtaba Amani, sustained minor injuries and is under observation.

Images from Beirut's southern suburbs showed wounded people on the streets, with injuries mostly concentrated around their hands or near their pants pockets. The Lebanese Health Ministry urged hospitals to prepare for emergencies, cautioning the public to avoid using pagers and wireless devices.

Emergency rooms in Beirut and southern Lebanon, areas where Hezbollah is highly active, were overwhelmed with patients. Blood donations were called for, with hospitals reporting numerous injuries.

A Hezbollah official, speaking anonymously, said the explosions were caused by a "security operation" targeting pagers carried by the group's members, with Israel being blamed for the attack. The official noted that the new pagers contained lithium batteries, which may have overheated and exploded.

This incident coincides with rising tensions between Lebanon and Israel, as the two sides have been engaged in frequent clashes linked to the broader conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

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