BEIRUT \u2014 Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded near simultaneously across Lebanon and in parts of Syria on Tuesday, killing at least eight people, including members of the militant group Hezbollah and a girl, and wounding the Iranian ambassador, government and Hezbollah officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack that wounded more than 2,700 people at a time of rising tensions across the Lebanon border. The Israeli military declined to comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Hezbollah official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that the new brand of handheld pagers used by the group first heated up, then exploded, killing at least two of its members and wounding others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon\u2019s health minister, Firas Abiad, said at least eight people were killed and 2,750 wounded \u2014 200 of them critically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian state-run IRNA news agency said that the country\u2019s ambassador, Mojtaba Amani, was superficially wounded by an exploding pager and was being treated at a hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Photos and videos from Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs circulating on social media and in local media showed people lying on the pavement with wounds on their hands or near their pants pockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah previously warned the group\u2019s members not to carry cellphones, saying that they could be used by Israel to track their movements and to carry out targeted strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lebanon\u2019s Health Ministry called on all hospitals to be on alert to take in emergency patients and for people who own pagers to get away from them. It also asked health workers to avoid using wireless devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AP photographers at area hospitals said the emergency rooms were overloaded with patients, many of them with injuries to their limbs, some in serious condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state-run National News Agency said hospitals in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs \u2014 all areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence \u2014 had called on people to donate blood of all types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The news agency reported that in Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs and other areas \u201cthe handheld pagers system was detonated using advanced technology, and dozens of injuries were reported.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hezbollah official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media said the explosions were the result of \u201ca security operation that targeted the devices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe enemy (Israel) stands behind this security incident,\u201d the official said, without elaborating. He added that the new pagers that Hezbollah members were carrying had lithium batteries that apparently exploded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lithium batteries, when overheated, can smoke, melt and even catch on fire. Rechargeable lithium batteries are used in consumer products ranging from cellphones and laptops to electric cars. Lithium battery fires can burn up to 1,100 F degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been clashing near-daily for more than 11 months against the backdrop of war between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n