Qassam rocket (Archive photo)
Photo: Danny Salomon
Qassam lands in western Negev
Rocket lands in open area, no injuries reported
A Qassam rocket landed in open space in the western Negev desert Monday afternoon.
No injuries or damage have been reported in the latest strike. The rocket landed next to a site belonging to Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, and the sound of the explosion was clearly heard throughout the region.
In response to the latest attack, the IDF directed artillery fire at rocket launching sites in the northern Gaza Strip.
Lachish District police and sappers were dispatched to the area in order to locate the exact spot where the rocket fell. The “Red Dawn” alert system successfully registered the launch of the rocket and the area where it fell.
The area has been previously targeted for rocket attacks, with two Qassams hitting the region on December 8, one of them falling near the southern town of Sderot.
The IDF has responded in the past by attacking the areas in northern Gaza from which the rockets are being launched, as well as access routes to the launching sites. The army said in a statement that its actions were aimed at "making the movements of terrorists more difficult and to disrupt repeated attempts by terror organizations to harm Israeli citizens."
Hanan Greenberg contributed to this report
