Walkie-talkie explosions reported in Lebanon after deadly pager attack | CNN

Families in Lebanon could have lived for years next to a member of Hezbollah without ever knowing their neighbor was part of the Iran-backed militant group, the country’s most powerful military and political organization. 

But in one afternoon, that was punctured as thousands of beepers used by its members exploded in people’s hands and on their belts. 

The operation succeeded in temporarily shattering one of the most strategic attributes of Hezbollah: its secrecy. 

The group’s guerilla tactics, developed during Israel’s 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, have made it an elusive enemy. 

The practice of hiding in the shadows largely continues to this day, even though Hezbollah has grown into one of two main parties representing the Shia community, Lebanon’s largest religious bloc. Today, there are 13 elected Hezbollah lawmakers in parliament and posters celebrating Hezbollah martyrs can be seen in many Shiite communities. 

While reporting in the country, I have occasionally encountered members of Hezbollah’s security wing. Always men dressed in civilian clothes and sometimes carrying walkie-talkies, they have asked to check my documents, and several times ordered me to leave an area they said was “sensitive.” 

Their undercover presence was a sharp contrast to the camouflage-uniformed Lebanese Army soldiers, who drive Humvees and guard checkpoints while carrying assault rifles.  

Tuesday’s attack was “a massive blow” to Hezbollah, wrote Amal Saad, an expert on Islamist movements. 

But in one fell swoop, Israel successfully negated that advantage, she said, as thousands of those pagers were turned into lethal weapons. 

It’s unclear whether all of those carrying the explosive pagers were Hezbollah fighters, as the group’s “state within a state” also supports hospitals, schools and other charitable organizations. Some may have also made their way into the hands of ordinary people not affiliated with Hezbollah. 

While Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate against its southern neighbor, one thing is certain: it’s likely trying to hide the extent of the damage to avoid, in part, sharing further secrets with its enemy.