Iran-backed forces in the Middle East are reviewing their communications protection measures in the wake of the mass pager explosion in Lebanon, including issuing new rules for fighters to use electronic devices, the Washington Post reported citing sources.
In Iraq and the West Bank, senior militants allied with Iran said they were reviewing equipment and issuing new rules for fighters' use of personal devices, the newspaper said.
The source, an unnamed senior commander in the Jenin Battalion, which is led by the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, said extraordinary precautions would be taken and fighters would keep the devices away from themselves. He added that his troops were already avoiding mobile phones and had recently given up pocket radios, which they suspected Israel had hacked.
On September 17-18, communication devices like pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in various parts of Lebanon. Official reports indicate 37 fatalities and over 3,000 injuries. It is still unknown what caused thousands of devices to explode simultaneously. Hezbollah and the Lebanese authorities have blamed Israel for the incident. Israeli President Isaac Herzog denied the country's involvement in the incident. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the events in Lebanon a monstrous act of terrorism and an attempt to ignite a major conflict.