Lebanon was shaken by thousands of consecutive explosions. These blasts happened in pagers. The Hezbollah fighters were using these pagers to communicate. Israel is being held responsible for these explosions.
In fact, ever since the attack on October 7th last year, there has been tremendous tension between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah is active in Lebanon, and Israel regards it as a terrorist organization. Israel claims that Iran supports Hezbollah.
Regarding the explosions on Tuesday, it has come to light that a message arrived on the pager first, causing a beep sound, and within seconds the explosion occurred. The pager was in someone's hand, in someone's pocket, or someone was talking with it. It has come to light that the explosive was placed next to the pager's battery. The explosion occurred due to an increase in battery temperature.
The explosive used for the blasts in these pagers is called PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate). This is a type of plastic bomb. It is very difficult to detect. It is reported that the pagers contained 20 grams of PETN.
A few months ago, Hezbollah had purchased these pagers. Hezbollah fighters used the pagers because they were difficult to trace.
According to a New York Times report, Hezbollah ordered three thousand pagers from a Taiwanese company named 'Gold Apollo'. However, the Taiwanese company claims that these pagers were made by a European company.
A person associated with Hezbollah told news agency AFP that recently, a thousand pagers arrived, and these were the ones that exploded. He also said that these were new types of pagers that Hezbollah had never used before.
It is reported that before being delivered to Hezbollah, PETN was fitted into these pagers. The Israeli espionage agency Mossad had placed PETN next to the pager's battery. On Tuesday, the battery temperatures were raised, causing the explosion.
Source: aajtak
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PETN is a chemical substance that, when mixed with a plasticizer, forms plastic explosives. It is considered one of the most powerful and dangerous explosives in plastic bombs. It is difficult to detect.
It is very powerful. PETN is considered more powerful than TNT. That's because, for the same amount of explosion caused by 1 kilogram of PETN, 1.24 kilograms of TNT would be needed.
Not only that, PETN is also more stable than other explosives. Therefore, there is very little chance of it exploding suddenly. When it is detonated, it causes significant damage.
It can be easily hidden in anything, and even a small amount can be deadly. For instance, only 20 grams of PETN was placed in Hezbollah's pager, yet the explosion caused significant damage.
PETN was first made by a German company that produced explosives. The German government started its production in 1912. The German army used PETN during the First World War.
Israel and its intelligence agency Mossad are being reported responsible for the pager attacks in Lebanon and Syria. However, Israel and Mossad have neither denied nor confirmed these allegations.
Sky News Arabia reported through its sources that the pagers fell into Israeli hands even before reaching Hezbollah. Sources revealed that Mossad had filled PETN into the batteries of these pagers.
Earlier this year, Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah had warned against using mobile phones, stating that Israel could trace them. Since then, Hezbollah fighters increased the use of pagers and ordered three thousand pagers.
Cybercrime expert Mikko Hypponen told the New York Times that it appears the design of the pagers might have also been tampered with due to the explosion.
Read Also: Thousands of Pager Blasts Cause Destruction
Source: aajtak
Even terrorists prefer PETN
PETN is like a 'small package, big bang'. Even small quantities can cause massive destruction. PETN has always been a favorite among terrorists. It has been used in various past terrorist attacks.
In 1980, an explosion occurred outside a Jewish worship place in Paris. 10 kilograms of PETN were used in that blast. In 1983, a terrorist carried out an attack using 24 kilograms of PETN in Berlin.
In 2001, Al Qaeda terrorist Richard Reid attempted to blow up an American plane flying from Paris to Miami using PETN. Reid had filled PETN in the sole of his shoe but failed in his attempt.
Similarly, in 2009, Al Qaeda suicide bomber Abdullah Hassan al-Asiri tried to assassinate Saudi government minister Mohammed bin Nayef. The suicide bomber died in the attack, whereas Nayef survived. PETN was used in this attack.
On December 25, 2009, Al Qaeda's terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was found with 80 grams of PETN in his underwear. Abdulmutallab was planning to blow up a plane traveling from Detroit to Amsterdam, but his attempt was foiled.
In October 2010, Al Qaeda plotted to blow up an American plane using PETN. They filled two printer cartridges with PETN, one containing 300 grams and the other 400 grams, but the plot was intercepted before the explosions could occur.
In India, terrorists have also conspired to carry out attacks using PETN. In July 2017, 150 grams of PETN were recovered in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Terrorists prefer PETN because it is difficult to detect. Neither X-ray machines can easily spot it, nor can sniffer dogs.
