Pagers used by hundreds of Hezbollah members have exploded almost simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least twelve people and wounding several thousand.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack on Tuesday. The Israeli military declined to comment.

The pagers exploded at about 3:30pm local time (12:30 GMT), as people shopped for groceries, sat in cafes or drove in the afternoon traffic, leaving blood-splattered scenes and panicked bystanders.

The blasts mainly occurred in areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence, particularly a southern Beirut suburb and the Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon, as well as in Damascus, according to Lebanese security officials.

Among those killed was an eight-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. The wounded included Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon.

The unexplained explosions came amid high tension between Israel and Hezbollah. The pair has been exchanging fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the October 7 attack by Hamas that led to the war on Gaza.

The pagers that blew up were apparently acquired by Hezbollah after the group’s leader ordered members in February to stop using cellphones, warning they could be tracked by Israeli intelligence.

Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said on Wednesday that it authorised its brand on the AR-924 pagers used by the Hezbollah group. However, it insisted that the devices were produced and sold by a company in Budapest called BAC.

The blasts came hours after Israel’s internal security agency said it had foiled an attempt by Hezbollah to kill a former senior Israeli security official using a planted explosive device that could be remotely detonated.

The United States “was not aware of this incident in advance” and was not involved, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. “At this point, we’re gathering information.”

Lebanon Health Minister Firass Abiad said some 2,750 people were wounded – 200 of them critically.

At overwhelmed hospitals, the wounded were rushed in on stretchers, some with missing hands, faces partly blown away, or gaping holes at their hips and legs. On a main road in central Beirut, a car door was splattered with blood and the windshield cracked.