Pagers that exploded were a new brand, Hezbollah official says

Civil Defence first-responders carry a man who was wounded after his handheld pager exploded. Picture: STR/AP

The hundreds of pagers that exploded on Tuesday in Lebanon and Syria had apparently been acquired by the militant group Hezbollah after the group’s leader ordered members in February to stop using mobile phones, warning they could be tracked by Israeli intelligence.

The pagers exploded simultaneously, killing at least eight people, including members of Hezbollah, and wounding the Iranian ambassador, officials said.