New York, United States - September 18, 2024

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply alarmed by reports that a large number of communication devices exploded across Lebanon and in Syria on Tuesday and Wednesday, his spokesman said.

The secretary-general is deeply alarmed by reports that a large number of communication devices exploded across Lebanon, as well as in Syria, on Sept 17 and 18, killing at least 11 people, including children, and injuring thousands, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, said in a statement.

Dujarric said the UN chief urged all concerned actors to exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation, and called on the parties to recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and immediately return to a cessation of hostilities to restore stability.

At a press conference held later on Wednesday at the UN headquarters in New York City, Guterres condemned the attacks and warned of serious escalation of situation in Lebanon.

Lebanese officials reported that explosions targeting pagers and handheld radios killed at least 26 people, including two children, and injured more than 3,200 others across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Lebanon's neighbor Syria, 14 Hezbollah fighters were injured when their communication devices exploded in the capital, Damascus, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor.

Shotlist:
New York, NY, USA - Sept 18, 2024:
FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown
1. UN headquarters, flags;
2. UN flag;
UN Headquarters, New York City - Sept 18, 2024
3. Press conference in progress;
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, Secretary General, United Nations (ending with shot 5):
"I think it's very important to take profit of this week for a number of contacts aiming at de-escalation of the situation in Lebanon. And I think that what has happened is particularly serious, not only because of the number of victims that it caused, but because of the indications that exists that this was triggered, I would say, in advance of the normal way to trigger these things, because there was a risk of this being discovered.";
FILE: Beirut, Lebanon - 2024
5. National flag of Lebanon;
Beirut, Lebanon - Sept 17, 2024
6. Ambulances moving through traffic;
UN Headquarters, New York City - Sept 18, 2024
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, Secretary General, United Nations (partially overlaid with shot 8):
"Because, obviously, the logic of making all these devices explode is to do it as a pre-emptive strike before a major military operation. So as important as the event in itself, it's the indication that this event confirms that there is a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon, and everything must be done to avoid that escalation.";
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
Beirut, Lebanon - Sept 18, 2024
8. Various of pedestrians, armed personnel, traffic outside American University of Beirut Medical Center;
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
9. Various of people, traffic outside hospital.

[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland, For news purpose only/No archive/Not for other production use]