The attack on Hezbollah operatives using pagers “worked perfectly”, a former head of research and analysis at Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency has said.
Sima Shine told news agencies that the detonation of pagers was “a combination of three elements that worked perfectly”. She said this included: “Intelligence on one hand, technology on the other, and the operational capabilities.
“This combination of the three made this operation successful.”
She claimed the operation was “directed on Hezbollah operatives, not on any civilians” – however, at least two children were among those killed when the pagers exploded in public places across Lebanon.
Ms Shina said: “I think when you look at the big number of people that were injured, you understand it was very much precise and very much directed on operatives, only on Hezbollah operatives, and not on civilians.
“I’m sorry it happened in those two cases [the deaths of the children] but this was not the purpose.”
The main reason behind the attack was to ensure large numbers of Hezbollah members would “not be able to fight and they will be occupied with helping the people” who have been injured, she said.
She added there is a “big question mark” over why the Iranian ambassador was injured.
“You ask yourself why an ambassador of a state is involved in a network of a terrorist organisation in Lebanon,” she said.
Number killed in second wave of blasts rises
The number of people killed in the second wave of blasts across Lebanon yesterday has risen to 25, Lebanon’s health minister has said.
Firass Abiad said 608 were injured.
Pager explosions on Tuesday killed 12 people and injured nearly 3,000 more, before walkie-talkies exploded yesterday afternoon.
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