New wave of Lebanon device blasts kills three, wounds over 100

BEIRUT, Lebanon: A new wave of device explosions killed three people and wounded more than 100 Wednesday, Lebanese authorities said, a day after pagers used by Hezbollah members blew up, killing 12 and wounding 2,800.

The Iran-backed group blamed Israel for the first wave of blasts on Tuesday, vowing revenge and stoking fears of all-out war in the region.“Three martyrs fell after devices exploded in the town of Sohmor,” in the eastern Bekaa valley, the state-run National News Agency said, with the health ministry reporting “more than 100 wounded” in “a new wave of walkie-talkie blasts”.

A hospital source in the eastern city of Baalbek told AFP 15 people had been wounded after walkie-talkies exploded. A source close to the Iran-backed group said walkie-talkies used by its members exploded in its Beirut stronghold during thefunerals of Hezbollah members killed in Tuesday´s blasts.

“A number of walkie-talkies exploded in Beirut´s southern suburbs,” the source said, with Hezbollah-affiliated rescuers confirming devices had exploded inside two cars in the area.The explosions caused panic, according to an AFP photographer covering the funerals. NNA reported “pagers” and “devices” had also exploded in Hezbollah strongholds in the east and south, with AFP correspondents hearing explosions in Beirut, in the east and in the southern city of Tyre.