A fresh wave of explosions rocked Lebanon, arriving after a deadly attack that left smoke and flames in their wake. The blasts stretched across multiple large cities and border towns, complicating relief efforts and widening the search for those responsible. Emergency teams raced to douse fires, cordon streets, and set up temporary shelters as authorities urged calm and patience. Across the country, residents faced disrupted traffic, damaged storefronts, and a jolt to a population already weary from prior shocks. Responders moved quickly to secure neighborhoods, coordinate with hospitals, and gather evidence as investigators began tracing blast patterns, examining potential links, and reviewing security footage. The mood shifted from numb mourning to crowded, tense streets where uncertainty lingered and the next warning could come at any moment.
Only about a quarter of an hour after the funeral for Tuesday’s victims, which included an eight year old boy, chaos erupted as new devices exploded. The hundreds who had come to comfort the bereaved shouted and ran when the detonations sounded. The Lebanese population, still reeling from the shock of the previous day, could not recover before attacks resumed. Once again, devices detonated in public spaces and private residences. The blasts caused fires in homes and businesses and damaged several vehicles left unattended.
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Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah have denounced Tuesday’s bombings as the work of Israel and have vowed retaliation, though the Israeli government had not issued a statement at the time. The previous day attack, described by an anonymous official as Hezbollah’s largest security breach in years, may have been accelerated by Israeli intelligence after two party members allegedly discovered that the beeper devices had been manipulated. In theory, it was to form part of a long threatened broader war, but to date the Tuesday and Wednesday events have not been followed by heavy bombardments that a full scale conflict would bring. Western capitals, including Washington and Ottawa, urged restraint and careful verification as the investigation continues.
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