British-educated entrepreneur denies making Hezbollah's explosive pagers that killed 12 and maimed thousands
18 September 2024, 15:42 | Updated: 18 September 2024, 16:11
A woman who was educated in the UK has denied making the Hezbollah pagers that killed 12 and wounded thousands more in Lebanon.
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The pagers are widely reported to have been tampered with by Israeli spy agency Mossad, although Israel declined to comment.
More devices exploded in Lebanon on Wednesday, around 24 hours after the first series of blasts. At least three people were thought to have died and 100 injured by the exploding walkie-talkies.
The pagers that exploded on Tuesday bore the branding of Gold Apollo, but the Taiwanese company said that they were actually manufactured by Hungarian firm BAC Consulting KFT.
But Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, BAC Consulting's chief executive, said her company was just a link in the supply chain, rather than the actual manufacturer of the devices.
She told a US TV news station: "I don't make the pagers. I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong."
Read more: ‘Walkie-talkies’ explode across Lebanon in second day of blasts against Hezbollah targets
Ms Bársony-Arcidiacono boasts qualifications from several London universities.
She has a PhD in physical sciences from UCL, a Master's from SOAS in sustainable development for the management of natural resources, and a politics diploma from LSE, which she finished in 2017.
Ms Bársony-Arcidiacono said on her LinkedIn profile that she enjoys "working in a multicultural environment where Passion, Integrity, and...Humor are valued!"
She also quotes a comment attributed to the Russian novelist Mikhail Bulgakov: "Kindness. The only possible method when dealing with a living creature".
Ms Bársony-Arcidiacono is said to have lived in north London during her years in the British capital.
The pagers targeted in the attack had been acquired by Hezbollah after the group's leader told members in February to stop using mobile phones.
Nearly 3,000 people are believed to have been injured in the coordinated remote attack on Tuesday, with 200 still in critical condition. It is unclear how many were hurt on the second day of explosions.
Lebanon's health minister said on Wednesday morning that a total of 12 people had been killed in Tuesday's attack, including two children, an eight-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy.
Israel has issued no comment on the explosions - but experts have said the pagers, which were imported into Lebanon earlier this year, must have been tampered with in a plot months in the making.
Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute said: “This was more than lithium batteries being forced into override. A small plastic explosive was almost certainly concealed alongside the battery, for remote detonation via a call or page. Mossad infiltrated the supply chain.”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today that it is vital all parties avoid taking steps that could further spread the conflict in the Middle East.
He said the US "did not know about" and was not involved in the attack and that the US remains steadfast in getting the ceasefire agreement "over the finish line”.
CCTV shows moment man's bag blows up in Lebanon during pager attack
The UK Foreign Office urged "calm heads and de-escalation" after the incident.
An FCDO spokesperson said: "We continue to monitor the situation in Lebanon closely and the UK is working with diplomatic and humanitarian partners in the region. The civilian casualties following these explosions are deeply distressing.
"We urge calm heads and de-escalation at this critical time."
