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Dubai’s Emirates airline has implemented a ban on pagers and walkie-talkies on its flights, responding to recent attacks linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. In a statement released on Friday, the airline announced that all passengers travelling to, from, or via Dubai are prohibited from carrying these devices in both checked and cabin baggage.
“Such items found in passengers’ hand luggage or checked baggage will be confiscated by Dubai Police,” the airline warned.
The decision comes in the wake of alarming incidents where thousands of pagers exploded simultaneously across Lebanon, followed by walkie-talkies detonating in a similar manner. Lebanese officials have attributed these attacks to Israel, which has heightened tensions in the region. At least 37 people, including children, were killed, and nearly 3,000 others injured as a result of these twin device attacks.
According to a Lebanese security source, the explosive material was cleverly concealed within the lithium batteries of the pagers, making it nearly undetectable.
In addition to the ban on pagers and walkie-talkies, Emirates confirmed that it will resume services to Jordan’s capital, Amman, on Sunday.
Emirates has announced that flights to and from Beirut will remain cancelled through October 15, and passengers transiting through Dubai to reach Beirut will not be permitted to travel from their point of origin until further notice.
Flights to and from Iraq and Iran will remain cancelled until at least Monday. Other airlines in the region have also cancelled flights to Beirut and several other airports as safety concerns continue to rise.
The situation escalated over the weekend when Israeli fighter jets launched significant airstrikes on southern Beirut on Saturday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that they aimed to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure and warned residents to evacuate the area before the strikes.
Since September 23, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed over 1,110 people and displaced more than a million people. Reports indicate that Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah figure, is missing, with communication lost amid the bombings.
