ST. PETERSBURG, September 18. /TASS/. The West is using the issue of fighting terrorism to manipulate public opinion, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on the sidelines of the IV Eurasian Women's Forum.

Commenting on the situation in Lebanon, where pagers exploded, injuring many and killing some, she said: "Instead of unifying efforts [to fight terrorism], the West is manipulating this issue and openly using it."

According to the diplomat, history has shown that "Western curators are usually behind many terrorist organizations created in the Middle East and North Africa."

On September 17, many pagers exploded practically simultaneously in several districts of Lebanon. According to the country’s Health Ministry, many people were injured and some died as a result of the incident. Hezbollah, Lebanon's Shiite military group, blamed Israel for the explosions and promised "a just response." According to one version, the incident was the result of a cyberattack, while another said that the pagers were brought into Lebanon this spring for Hezbollah supporters with explosives built in.