Exploding pagers, walkie-talkies: A look at Mossad's key ops over the years

Mossad has a history of carrying out complex operations to eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

The wave of explosions across Lebanon within a span of two days has killed at least 30 people and injured thousands. The detonations rocked country's south, the southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahiyeh and the eastern Bekaa valley -- all Hezbollah strongholds.

First pagers and then walkie-talkies used by the Hezbollah militants to communicate detonated, escalating the tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed militia.

The incident has once again diverted everyone's attention to Mossad, the Israeli spy agency which is allegedly involved in the attacks. The agency has a history of carrying out complex operations to eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Let's have a look at the operations that have brought Mossad to the headlines in the past.

Abduction of Adolf Eichmann (1960)

Otto Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal, had escaped from a US detention camp following his arrest after the fall of the Nazi Germany. He was hiding in Argentina when Mossad traced his location and along with Shin Bet, the Israel Security Agency captured and brought him to Israel. Eichmann was later executed by hanging.

Operation Wrath of God (1972)

The Operation Bayonet or Operation Wrath of God was carried out two days after the Munich Massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics and continued for 20 years. Main targets of this covert operation were the members of the Palestinian-armed militant group Black September and leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Operation Entebbe (1976)

Operation Entebbe or the Operation Thunderbolt was a rescue operation for the hostages of civilian passenger flight, Airbus A300, hijacked by two Palestinians and subsequently taken to Uganda. Based on Mossad intelligence, 100 commandos of the Israeli military flew to Uganda and successfully rescued 102 hostages while three were killed.

Imad Mughniyeh's assasination (2008)

Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah commander and the founding member of Lebanon's Islamic Jihad Organization was assassinated in a joint operation by CIA and Mossad. Mughniyeh was killed in Damascus, Syria after a car bomb detonated while he was walking past it.

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's assassination (2010)

According to a Reuters report, In 2010, suspected Israeli assassins killed Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel. Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement. Dubai police said that al-Mabhouh was drugged and electrocuted before being suffocated with a pillow in the 5-star hotel.

Stealing Iran's nuclear secrets (2018)

In 2018, Mossad agents carried out the theft of documents related to Iranian nuclear secrets from a warehouse in Tehran after disabling the alarms, breaking through two doors and cutting through dozens of giant safes. The Israeli spy agents got out of the city with a half-ton nuclear secret materials before the morning shift of warehouse guards arrived.