Hezbollah is hit by a wave of exploding pagers that killed at least 9 people and injured thousands

Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded near simultaneously in parts of Lebanon and Syria, killing at least nine people — including members of the militant group Hezbollah and a young girl. Officials in Lebanon say more than 2,700 were wounded Tuesday, 200 critically. Hezbollah officials tell The Associated Press that the explosions affected a new brand of pagers used by the militant group. Small amounts of explosive material secreted in the pagers were detonated, causing explosions in the suburbs of Beirut and in other areas that are Hezbollah strongholds. An American official says Israel briefed the U.S. on the operation after the explosions.