At least eight people, including members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, were killed and 2,750 others wounded on Tuesday when communication pagers exploded in Beirut’s suburbs and other parts of Lebanon, country’s health minister Firass Abiad said.

The incident, described by a Hezbollah official as the “biggest security breach” in nearly a year of conflict with Israel, has sparked widespread panic and confusion. The millitant group has blamed Israel for the pager blasts, saying it will get “its fair punishment” , agencies report.