BEIJING – China opposes any violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and security, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks when asked to comment on the communication devices that exploded in Lebanon on Wednesday. The explosions over the last two days have so far caused more than 30 deaths and over 3,000 injuries.
Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah detonated on Wednesday across Lebanon's south in the country's deadliest day since cross-border fighting erupted between the group and Israel nearly a year ago, stoking tensions after similar explosions of the group's pagers the day before.
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Twenty people were killed and more than 450 injured on Wednesday in Beirut's suburbs and the Bekaa Valley, while the death toll from Tuesday's explosions rose to 12, including two children, with nearly 3,000 injured, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Israeli officials have not commented on the blasts, but security sources said Israel's spy agency Mossad was responsible for the attacks. One Hezbollah official said the episode was the biggest security breach in the group's history.
Talking about the incident on Thursday, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin said China is highly concerned about the incidents and opposes any act that infringes upon Lebanon's sovereignty and security.
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Stressing that Beijing is concerned over the possibility of these incidents escalating regional tensions, he said China calls on all relevant parties to effectively maintain peace and stability in the Middle East.
With Reuters inputs