Qassam in Zikim (Archive photo)
Photo: Yehudit Mor
Qassam hits dairy barn in Negev kibbutz; 6 cows killed
Rocket fired from Gaza lands in Kibbutz Zikim, nearby plant damaged. 'No one is planning on leaving; we are hoping for the best,' kibbutz member says
A Qassam rocket fired by Palestinians in north Gaza Sunday morning hit a dairy barn in Kibbutz Zikim in the western Negev, killing six cows and causing severe damage to the structure.
Sappers and security personnel dispatched to the scene said the rocket was 165 millimeters in diameter.
Kibbutz Zikim member Tal Mor said the cows killed in the attack were pregnant, adding that several others were injured in the strike.
"We may have to put some of the cows down," he said. Mor said a nearby plant was also damaged.
"We have not seen a rocket of this type in these parts before. The factory's fire extinguishing system, which was located some 200 meters from the rocket's landing site, was completely destroyed, meaning the Qassam was of an improved type," he said.
Most of the homes in the kibbutz are protected against Qassam attacks.
Mor said a number of people, mainly those who work at the barn, suffered from anxiety after seeing the dead cows.
"Unfortunately, this has been our reality for a while now; we have nowhere to go. No one is planning on leaving, and we are hoping for the best," he said.
Earlier, two more rockets landed in open fields in the Negev. No injuries were reported.
