US says it is gathering information on pager explosions in Lebanon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Tuesday it was gathering information after at least eight people were killed and some 2,750 injured when pagers used by Hezbollah members – including fighters and medics – exploded simultaneously across Lebanon.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a news conference that the United States was not involved in the incidents and did not know who was responsible. Lebanon’s Hezbollah has threatened to punish Israel in response to the incidents.

“We are gathering information about this incident,” Miller said. “I can tell you that the United States was not involved in this. They were not aware of this incident in advance.”

“We gather information in the same way that journalists around the world do, to gather facts about what might have happened,” Miller added.

In response to a question, Miller said the United States was always concerned about any incident that could increase tensions in the Middle East and urged Iran not to take advantage of an incident to increase instability.

Miller also said that civilians were not legitimate targets for any type of operation.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Kanishka Singh and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Cynthia Osterman)