Gulf News

Syria missile lands close to Israel reactor

TEL AVIV RETALIATES WITH STRIKES ON LAUNCHER, AIR DEFENCE BASE

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ASyrian anti-aircraft missile landed in southern Israel early yesterday, setting off air raid sirens near the country’s top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said. In response, it said it attacked the missile launcher and air-defence systems in neighbouri­ng Syria.

The Israeli military later said that the Syrian missile that reached deep into Israeli territory and set off air raid sirens near the country’s topsecret nuclear reactor was the result of a misfire and not a deliberate attack.

The army’s chief spokesman, Brig Gen Hidai Zilberman, was quoted as telling military correspond­ents that the Israeli air force was already operating in Syrian airspace when the anti-aircraft missile was fired. He said the projectile, identified as a Russian-made SA-5 missile, missed its target and exploded in southern Israel.

‘No intention of hitting nuclear reactor in Dimona’

The missile set off air raid sirens in a village near Dimona, the southern desert town where Israel’s nuclear reactor is located, and some 300km south of Damascus. “There was no intention of hitting the nuclear reactor in Dimona,” Zilberman was quoted as saying.

An Israeli missile-defence system tried, but failed to intercept the incoming missile. Defence Minister Benny Gantz said the incident was under investigat­ion.

‘It reflects incompeten­ce in Syrian air defence’

In Washington, Gen Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, gave a similar assessment to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“I think it reflects, actually, incompeten­ce in Syrian air defence, where they were responding to Israeli strikes on targets in Syria. The fired their missiles, the missiles went ballistic, literally, and followed a parabolic trajectory to Israel,” he said. “I do not believe it was an intentiona­l attack.”

In recent years, Israel has repeatedly launched air strikes at Syria, including at military targets linked to foes Iran and the Hezbollah militia, both allies of Syrian President Bashar Al A ssad. Such strikes routinely draw Syrian anti-aircraft fire. Yesterday’s exchange was unusual because the Syrian projectile landed deep inside Israel.

Four soldiers wounded

Syria’s state news agency SANA said the exchange began with an Israeli air strike on Dumeir, a suburb of Damascus, which is believed to house Syrian army installati­ons and batteries as well as bases and weapons depots belonging to militias. SANA said four soldiers were wounded.

Syrian media made no mention of an anti-aircraft missile landing deep inside Israel.

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