Hezbollah Pager Explosion: Taiwanese company whose pagers exploded in Lebanon denies manufacturing them

Hezbollah Pager Explosion: Gold Apollo, the Taiwanese company whose pagers reportedly exploded in Lebanon, killing nine alleged Hezbollah fighters while injuring over 3,000, has claimed that it didn't make the devices, albeit had only licensed its name. 

Company’s founder Hsu Ching-Kuang told reporters that the pagers used in detonations were made by a company in Europe that has the right to use the Taiwanese firm’s brand.

"The product was not ours. It was only that it had our brand on it," said Hsu. 

Hsu added that his company Apollo was also a victim of the incident.

"We may not be a large company but we are a responsible one," he said. "This is very embarrassing."

The company in a statement released stated that the AR-924 model was produced and sold by Budapest-based BAC Consulting KFT BAC.

"We only provide brand trademark authorisation and have no involvement in the design or manufacturing of this product," the statement said.

Images of destroyed pagers showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese officer told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from the Taiwan-based company. 

Reports indicate that the explosive material was implanted next to the battery with a switch that could be triggered remotely to detonate. 

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According to the militant outfit, it was one of the biggest ‘security breaches’ the group has faced since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. It also claimed that Tel Aviv was behind the attack. 

Hezbollah in a statement said the group was still conducting a "wide-ranging security and scientific investigation to determine" the cause of the blasts.

Meanwhile, Hamas, currently waging a war with Israel in the Gaza Strip said the pager blasts were an "escalation" that would only lead Israel to "failure and defeat". Iran-backed Hezbollah has been supporting Hamas throughout the war and has vowed to take action. 

"Israel will certainly receive its just punishment for this sinful aggression," Hezbollah said. 

Iranian state media IRNA reported that Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured in the explosions. Amani has a superficial injury and is currently under observation in the hospital,