Rocket lands near strategic facility (archive photo)
Photo: Amir Cohen
Qassam lands near strategic facility
Rocket launched from Gaza lands in Ashkelon's industrial zone; slight damage reported
A Qassam rocket landed near a strategic facility in the Ashkelon industrial area Tuesday afternoon.
The rocket landed near a water facility within a plant at the industrial zone and damaged it slightly. Workers at the plan and at nearby factors were instructed to enter security rooms. The employees reported hearing a loud explosion.
Another rocket landed in an open field nearby. Two vehicles were also slightly damaged in the attacks.
Earlier Tuesday, two other Qassams were launched at Israel but landed inside the Gaza Strip. Recently, Qassam attacks have emerged as a significant threat to Ashkelon, with rockets landing near kibbutz Zikim, just south of town as well as in Ashkelon's industrial area.
Notably, the al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad's military wing, have recently announced they succeeded in developing a longer range rocket with a range of 13-16 kilometers (about 8-10 miles.) According to the organization, the rocket also contains industrial explosives that make it more lethal.
A spokesman for the al-Quds Brigades said the new rocket was successfully tested by the group, and that it plans to put it into use in the near future.
Meanwhile, several other terror groups also stated recently they are improving the range and capacity of their rockets.
Hanan Greenberg contributed the report
