Pagers. What Are They, How Do They Work And How Have They Been Used In Attacks?

Pagers, or beepers, are known for their reliability and, according to the latest reports, may have been remotely detonated by Israeli intelligence services.

At least nine people have been killed and more than 2,800 injured in a series of pager explosions in Lebanon, with Israel accused of being behind the attack.

But what exactly are pagers? And how could they have been used in an attack of this kind? To begin with, it is worth mentioning that these small electronic devices - which were at their peak in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s - are still used in some areas due to their accuracy and reliability.

Unlike Wi-Fi networks and mobile phones, which are subject to connection problems and communication crossover, pagers operate on their own radio frequency to receive messages, audible alerts and also phone numbers. In addition to being used in hospitals in the US, these pagers can also be used for illegal communications - as shown in HBO's iconic series 'The Wire'.

Regarding this case in Lebanon, Reuters says that the devices were used by affiliates of the Hezbollah group to avoid Israeli communications control, noting however that these small electronic devices were also used by civilians.

The New York Times says that Israel set up an operation to hide explosive material in these pagers produced by Gold Apollo in Taiwan, with the equipment later being exported to Lebanon. It is believed that Israeli intelligence services remotely detonated these pagers, overloading the batteries and causing the previously hidden material to explode.

It should be noted that neither the Israeli army nor the government have yet commented on the situation.