Lebanon pager blasts: World reactions

Hezbollah vowed on Wednesday to punish Israel after hundreds of paging devices used by the militant group's members exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the explosions that killed nine people, including the 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member, and wounded around 2,800 others.

- Russia 'strongly condemns' Lebanon pager blasts -

Russia said Wednesday it strongly condemned a deadly attack that saw hundreds of pagers used by militant group Hezbollah simultaneously explode across Lebanon, calling for "all parties involved to exercise restraint".

"We strongly condemn the unprecedented attack on friendly Lebanon and its citizens, which constitutes a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a serious challenge to international law through the use of unconventional weapons," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

The Kremlin, for its part, warned that the deadly wave of blasts risked igniting tensions in an "explosive" region.

"What has happened, whatever it is, is certainly leading to an escalation of tensions. The region itself is in an explosive situation... And every incident like this has the potential to be a trigger," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

- EU top diplomat condemns pager 'attacks' -

The European Union's foreign policy chief on Wednesday condemned the explosions.

"I consider this situation extremely worrying. I can only condemn these attacks that endanger the security and stability of Lebanon, and increase the risk of escalation in the region," Josep Borrell said in a statement.

- UN says pager blasts 'extremely concerning escalation'-

The United Nations said pager explosions that killed nine people and wounded 2,800 across Lebanon Tuesday marked "an extremely concerning escalation" nearly one year into the Gaza war.

"The developments today mark an extremely concerning escalation in what is an already unacceptably volatile context," U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said in a statement.

She urged "all concerned actors to refrain from any further action, or bellicose rhetoric, which could trigger a wider conflagration that nobody can afford".

- Hamas says Lebanon pager blasts 'Zionist terrorist aggression'-

Palestinian militant group Hamas condemned the deadly wave of pager blasts, calling it a "Zionist terrorist aggression".

"We... strongly condemn the Zionist terrorist aggression that targeted Lebanese citizens by detonating communication devices in various areas of Lebanese territory," Hamas said in a statement, adding that the attack did not distinguish "between resistance fighters and civilians".

- US urges Iran to avoid furthering 'tensions' -

The United States on Tuesday urged Iran to avoid actions that further raise tensions after mass explosions of pagers used by Lebanese ally Hezbollah in which Tehran's ambassador was injured.

"We would urge Iran not to take advantage of any incident to try to add further instability and to further increase tensions in the region," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, as suspicion fell on Israel.