Beirut, Lebanon (DT) – According to a report by the New York Times on Thursday, BAC Consulting, a Hungary-based pager manufacturer responsible for the devices that exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday, is believed to be an Israeli shell company, as indicated by three intelligence officers.
The officers also revealed that two additional shell companies were established to obscure the identities of those involved in producing the pagers.
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The report detailed that while BAC Consulting did manufacture standard pagers for various clients, the devices made for Hezbollah were produced separately and included batteries infused with explosives.
The report indicates that the pagers were initially delivered to Lebanon in a small batch in 2022.
After a speech by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in which he condemned cellphones as “agents” of Israel and encouraged the increased use of pagers, operatives from the Lebanese terrorist organization reportedly placed additional orders for the BAC-manufactured devices.
Nasrallah Bans Cell Phone Use
Additionally, three defense officials revealed that Nasrallah has mandated that Hezbollah officers carry pagers at all times, prohibiting cell phones during organization meetings. He reportedly instructed officers not to share any details regarding Hezbollah’s movements and plans through cell phones.
Since his address, there has been a marked increase in pager shipments to Lebanon, with thousands reportedly arriving and being distributed to Hezbollah officers and their associates, according to two American intelligence officials cited by the New York Times.
While Hezbollah views these devices as a defensive tool, the NYT noted, Israeli intelligence has characterized them as “buttons” that could be activated at strategic moments, which appears to have been on Tuesday. According to multiple reports, the pagers were set to beep, prompting their owners to see what message Hezbollah’s command sent, only to explode a few seconds later, sowing chaos across Lebanon.
Hezbollah reported that at least eight of its fighters were killed, with more noncombatants also being killed and wounded.
