Fear of explosions

Emirates now bans pagers and walkie-talkies

The airline apparently does not want to take any risks.

(Bild: AFP/Amir MAKAR)

The Dubai-based airline Emirates has banned its passengers from carrying radio devices such as pagers and walkie-talkies. It is apparently feared that there are still residual stocks of the exploded Hezbollah devices in circulation. In addition, further flights have been suspended.

All passengers traveling on flights to, from or via Dubai are "prohibited from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies in their luggage or in the cabin", according to a statement published on Friday by the largest airline in the Middle East, based in Dubai.

In light of the tense situation in the region, Emirates also extended the suspension of its flights to Iran and Iraq until October 8 and to Lebanon until October 15. On Thursday, the airline had initially canceled all its flights to Iran, Iraq and Jordan until October 5.

In Lebanon, hundreds of walkie-talkie radios belonging to Hezbollah fighters exploded on September 17, following the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of radio receivers, so-called pagers, belonging to Hezbollah members the day before.

Pagers and walkie-talkies use their own radio frequency and are therefore considered more reliable than cell phones. Unlike cell phones, communication with these devices is more difficult to trace, intercept or block. This is why the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia ordered the radios specially.

Devices were prepared with explosives
Israel did not comment on the authorship of the explosions, which killed 39 people and injured almost 3,000 others. Experts assume that the exploded pagers and walkie-talkies were prepared with explosives by the Israeli secret service before they were delivered to Hezbollah.

The Hezbollah pagers were torn to pieces.

(Bild: AFP)

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified considerably in recent weeks. On Tuesday evening, Iran attacked Israel directly with rockets for the second time in six months. According to Tehran, this was in response to the Israeli military offensive in southern Lebanon against the Hezbollah militia and the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then announced retaliation. Since then, international efforts have been underway to prevent a further escalation.