After thousands of pagers were detonated in Lebanon, a second wave of explosions occurred on Wednesday: hundreds of walkie-talkies were blown up again, killing a total of around 30 people and injuring thousands. Now the manufacturer of the walkie-talkies has spoken out, stressing that these devices have not been produced since 2014 – so they could have been pirated.
“The IC-V82 is a handheld radio that was manufactured and exported between 2004 and October 2014, including to the Middle East,” the Icom company said on Thursday. “Production stopped about ten years ago and our company no longer supplies.”
Explosion at memorial service for victims of pager attack
In Wednesday’s wave of explosions, walkie-talkies also blew up in a southern suburb of the capital Beirut as a memorial service was taking place for members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia killed the day before by exploding pagers.
The militia, backed by Israel’s arch-enemy Iran, blamed Israel for the pager and walkie-talkie explosions and threatened retaliation. Israel did not comment.
According to media reports, the radios that exploded on Wednesday bore the Icom logo. The Japanese company said early Thursday morning: “There are reports in the global media that walkie-talkies with the Icom logo have exploded in Lebanon.”
Battery production has also been at a standstill for a long time
The company later issued a lengthy statement announcing that the devices had been out of production for a decade. “Production of the batteries required to operate the main device has also been discontinued,” the report said.
Manufacturer does not rule out illegal copies
Icom also pointed out that it had not installed hologram seals or similar anti-counterfeiting measures on the devices. “It is therefore not possible to determine whether the products were supplied by our company” or whether they are illegally reproduced walkie-talkies.
Israel speaks of “new phase of war”
Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant has announced a “new phase” of the war after the explosions, which mainly killed Hezbollah members.
“The center of gravity is shifting to the north,” Galant said, according to his office. The Israeli military has been fighting Hezbollah there since the Gaza war began nearly a year ago. There are concerns that a full-scale war against the militia is imminent.
The UN fears a dramatic escalation in the Middle East
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced a speech on Thursday afternoon. Given the extremely dangerous situation, the UN Security Council is planning an emergency meeting. According to diplomatic sources, the most powerful body of the United Nations will meet on Friday evening. UN Secretary-General António Guterres sees the “grave danger of a dramatic escalation” in the Middle East.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
