Israel's attempts to spread conflicts in region extremely dangerous: Turkish president

By Ferdi Turkten

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday expressed sorrow over pager explosions in Lebanon, saying Israel's attempts to spread conflicts in the region are extremely dangerous.

During his phone conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Erdogan expressed sorrow over the pager attack and offered prayers for those who lost their lives, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured, the Turkish Communications Directorate said in a statement.

Erdogan also stated that Israel's attempts to spread conflicts in the region are extremely dangerous and that efforts to stop Israeli aggression will continue.

On Tuesday, at least nine people, including a child, were killed in a mass explosion of pager communication devices in areas across Lebanon, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad.

Hezbollah confirmed that at least two members were killed and many injured in the mass explosion and held Israel fully responsible for the incident, vowing ‘just retaliation from unexpected quarters’ to Israel.

The mass explosion of pagers came amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,200 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last October.