The exploding device attacks dealt a major but not crippling blow to Hezbollah, analysts say

Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — The remotely triggered explosions that hit pagers and walkie-talkies carried by Hezbollah members this week made for an eerie and shocking spectacle. Analysts say Hezbollah will be able to regroup militarily and find communications workarounds, but the psychological effects will likely run deep. The blasts have been widely blamed on Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. They killed at least 37 people, wounded more than 3,000 others and deeply unsettled even Lebanese who have no Hezbollah affiliation. The explosions hit workers in Hezbollah’s civilian institutions, harming to the militant group’s operations beyond the battlefield. They also exposed the weaknesses in the communications system the group was using to avoid Israeli surveillance of cellphones.