A loud explosion rocked Ashkelon's southern neighborhoods Monday morning as a Qassam rocket landed in an open area south of the city.
Several rockets have been fired at Ashkelon over the past two weeks, most on them landing in the southern industrial zone.
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Ashkelon residents said that they heard a particularly loud explosion. One of the residents living nearby said that "the explosion was so strong my house trembled. We are used to Qassam rockets, but far from here, in the industrial zone. This is the first time the rocket lands so close. It was terrifying."
A boarding school is located not far from where the rocket landed, and instructors were forced to calm the frightened children down.
Security sources said that the firing of rockets at the Ashkelon area has recently become more accurate. Several rockets landed near strategic facilities in the city over the past few weeks, one of them causing damage.
The Color Red alert system is only activated in Ashkelon's southern industrial zone.
Sources at the Ashkelon Municipality and the Home Front Command have said that a government decision was needed in order to activate the system. On the other hand, there are those who claim that the municipality fears an image of a "Qassam city", after attempting to brand Asheklon as "a city of culture, recreation and sports" over the past year.
One of the security officers who arrived at the industrial zone said that he believed the alert system should be activated.
"Although this may create panic, it is definitely a life saver. We have seen the lives of workers and security guards at the industrial zone saved several times after the system was activated."
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