Rocket warfare escalates; 3 mortar shells fired at Negev
Violence from the Gaza strip escalated Friday afternoon as Palestinians fired three mortar shells towards the western Negev.
The shells exploded in open land in the Eshkol regional council..
Earlier on Friday a Grad rocket was shot from Gaza towards Israel.
The Grad rocket was the first since July, and the first to land near Ofakim since Operation Cast Lead. The rocket exploded in an open area, injuring three cows and damaging a building.
Another rocket was shot on Friday morning. It landed in Palestinian territory.
The escalation may have been a reaction to the IDF assassination of two members of the Army of Islam, an al-Qaida affiliated group. Earlier on Thursday, the Army of Islam issued a threat in Hebrew for the first time, saying that Jews are not safe from attacks.
Gaza militants fire long-range Grad rocket into western Negev
Gaza militants fired at a long-range Grad rocket into the western Negev early Friday, Army Radio reported, following a night-long barrage of Qassam rockets fired from the coastal enclave.
The rocket exploded north of the Israeli town of Ofakim, with security forces struggling to pinpoint the exact location due to heavy morning fog.
The launch joined at least two earlier Qassam-rocket firings into western Negev, with no injuries or damages being reported; a third Qassam launch was reported a few hours following the firing of the Grad-type Katyusha.
The attacks comes amid growing violence in Gaza, as Israeli forces struck Army of Islam militant leaders in two separate occasions in recent weeks.
On Thursday, a recording released by declared Al-Qaida affiliates warned the "aggressor Jews" they will not be safe from rockets and other attacks until they "leave the land of Palestine" in wake of recent attacks.
We may be on the verge of significant escalation in violence in the region - based not only on this new barrage of missiles but the rhetoric coming from the "Army of Islam militant leaders".
We'll see.
No comments:
Post a Comment