Taiwan, Bulgaria deny involvement in deadly Lebanon pager attacks

Taiwan and Bulgaria have issued strong denials of any involvement in the supply chain of thousands of pagers that detonated in Lebanon, killing 37 people and injuring around 3,000.

The attacks, which targeted Hezbollah, occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, and their origin remains unclear.

Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, whose brand is linked to the pagers, denied manufacturing the devices used in the attacks. Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei stated categorically that the pagers were not made in Taiwan, while Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung confirmed that Taiwanese missions abroad are exchanging information with other nations.

Bulgaria’s state security agency DANS also declared that no pagers related to the Lebanon attack were imported, exported, or produced in Bulgaria.

Investigations are ongoing, with security sources suggesting Israel’s involvement, although Israel has not commented directly. The probe is focusing on companies linked to the pagers, including Hungary-based BAC, which held a license to use the Gold Apollo brand.

As the investigation continues, both Taiwan and Bulgaria are distancing themselves from any direct involvement in the deadly incident.

Beirut and Hezbollah have accused Israel of responsibility for the recent pager attacks in Lebanon, claiming Israel planted explosive charges in imported devices and remotely detonated them.

However, Israel has maintained silence, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office distancing itself from a suggestive social media post by advisor Topaz Luk.

The international community has widely condemned the attacks, with human rights groups warning they pose a significant risk to civilian lives and violate laws of war.

The incident escalates tensions between Israel and Hezbollah amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, which has claimed over 41,300 lives since Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7.