Taipei, 18 September 2024 (dpa/MIA) – A Taiwanese company which had been linked by media to pagers involved in explosions on Tuesday that killed at least nine people and injured some 2,800 others across Lebanon said it did not produce the devices in question.

Gold Apollo boss Hsu Ching-Kuang on Wednesday told reporters that the pagers involved in Tuesday's explosions bear the Taiwan company's logo but were not manufactured by it, the state-run Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Gold Apollo told dpa over the phone that the pagers were designed and manufactured by a company based in Hungary, naming the company as BAC. Gold Apollo did not specify where BAC manufactured the devices.

"Regarding the recent media reports about the AR-924 pager, we clarify that this model is produced and sold by BAC," the company said in a separate statement. "We only provide brand trademark authorization and have no involvement in the design or manufacturing of this product."

"According to the agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in specific regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are entirely handled by BAC," the statement read. 

"We always adhere to relevant regulations and maintain transparent and compliant cooperation with our partners," Gold Apollo said.

Gold Apollo, founded in 1995, is a manufacturer specialized in wireless paging systems.

Unconfirmed reports were circulating that Israel had targeted communications devices used by Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and was behind the detonations. The explosions killed nine people including at least one child and injured some 2,800 more, according to figures by the Health Ministry in Beirut on Tuesday.

The Israeli army initially did not comment on the events in Lebanon. Hezbollah blamed Israel and threatened retaliation.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war almost a year ago, confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli military have occurred almost daily in the border area between Lebanon and its southern neighbour, with deaths recorded on both sides as a result of the shelling, mostly members of Hezbollah.

The pro-Iranian Shiite militia says it is acting out of solidarity with Palestinian militant organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Photo: MIA archive