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UN human rights commissioner slams blasts in Lebanon as war crime

The UN official called for bringing those behind these blasts to responsibility under international law and protecting civilians in conflict zoes

UNITED NATIONS, September 20. /TASS/. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has slammed explosions in Lebanon as a war crime.

"It is a war crime to commit violence intended to spread terror among civilians," he stressed.

"I call, again, for an independent, thorough, and transparent investigation into the circumstances of these explosions. Those who ordered and carried out these attacks must be held to account," he said at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

The UN official called for bringing those behind these blasts to responsibility under international law and protecting civilians in conflict zoes.

Multiple explosions of communication devices occurred in Lebanon on September 17 and 18. On the first day, a large number of pagers blew up almost simultaneously in various regions of Lebanon. According to the country’s Health Ministry, 12 people, including two children, were killed, and 2,800 more were hospitalized. On the following day, a new wave of blasts swept across Lebanon. This time, walkie-talkies, phones, fingerprint scanners, as well as devices operating on solar and lithium-ion batteries exploded. At least 25 were killed and 608 were injured in the new attack.

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