Blinken says US 'did not know about nor was involved in' Lebanon pager explosions

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said the U.S. "did not know about, nor was it involved in" the wave of exploding pagers in Lebanon and Syria, an apparent Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah’s communications network.

Speaking in Egypt alongside the country's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Blinken added: "We're still gathering the information and gathering the facts."

"It's imperative that all parties refrain from any actions that could, escalate the conflict," he said.

Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded almost simultaneously on Tuesday across Lebanon and in parts of Syria, killing at least 12 people, including two children, and wounding around 2,800.

Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack. The Israeli military declined to comment.