Doha, Sep 20: Qatar Airways has prohibited passengers travelling from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport from bringing pagers and walkie-talkies on flights. The move comes after several walkie-talkies and pagers exploded in Lebanon, post which the country issued a directive prohibiting such things on flights. On Thursday, the airline, on social media platform X, said that the regulations would be in place until further notice.
"Effective immediately: Following the directive received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Lebanon, all passengers flying from Beirut Rafic Harirl International Airport (BEY) are prohibited from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on board flights," Qatar Airways posted on X. Qatar Airways said that the ban applies to both checked and carry-on luggage, as well as cargo, and will be enforced until further notice.
Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported, after thousands of such devices exploded during a deadly attack on Hezbollah this week. The death toll in explosions targeting pagers and handheld radios across Lebanon that occurred in two waves on Tuesday and Wednesday has risen to 37, whereas 2,931 were injured, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad said on Thursday.
The recent explosions add a new layer to the ongoing 11 month clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, marked by deadly Israeli airstrikes and Hezbollah's attacks on northern Israel. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry described the explosions as a "dangerous and deliberate Israeli escalation" which it said had been "accompanied by Israeli threats to expand the war towards Lebanon on a large scale".
Lebanese internal security forces said several wireless communication devices were detonated across Lebanon, especially in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. The pagers that detonated were the latest model brought in by Hezbollah in recent months, three security sources said. No Israeli officials have claimed responsibility for the explosions, which Hezbollah attributed to Israel.
