Lebanon explosions: Man born in India's Kerala under investigation. Who is he?
File photo.
A man born in the Indian state of Kerala is under investigation regarding the recent pagers and walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, according to media reports on Saturday (Sep21).
The man was identified as Rinson Jose, a 39-year-old entrepreneur and a Norwegian citizen. Jose migrated to Norway from Kerala's Wayanad. He currently lives inOslo.
A report by The Indian Express said that Jose is the ownerof Norta Global Limited, a Bulgarian shell company allegedly involved in supplying pagers to Hezbollah.
The preliminary investigation
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As per the report, a preliminary investigation suggestedthat the pagers were provided by Norta Global Limited.Jose’s company received components from Taiwan, which were then used to manufacture the devices.
Citing international media, the report said that the 39-year-old man might have fled to the United States (US) or the United Kingdom (UK). Jose's family back in Keralaexpressed shock at the allegations.
The report said that the man's uncle denied any suspicion of illegal activity, stating that Rinson had been in touch with the family just a week ago and had always been a well-behaved individual.
Wayanad District Police Chief Taposh Basumatary confirmed that local authorities were aware of the sensitive nature of the issue and have provided protection to Jose's family inMananthavady.
Death toll due to explosions at 37
The death toll in explosions targeting pagers and handheld radios acrossLebanonon Tuesday and Wednesday has risen to 37, whereas the injuries came at 2,931, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad said Thursday (Sep 19).
Tensions along theLebanon-Israel border have been escalating since October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in support of Hamas. Israel retaliated with artillery fire into southeasternLebanon. The conflict has resulted in hundreds of deaths inLebanon, and Hezbollah claimed its attacks have inflicted casualties in Israel.
The recent explosions add a new layer to the ongoing 11-month clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.