5 additional rockets fired at Israel

Terrorists renew fire after attack which injured 10 in Ashdod: Four rockets explode in Be'er Tuvia, Eshkol, and Sdot Negev regional councils, additional rocket hits Ashdod. Residents of local towns report hearing rocket alerts, loud explosions

Ynet reporters|Last update: 08.19.11 , 18:25

Fire from Gaza was renewed Friday afternoon when terrorists fired five rockets at various locations in southern Israel, hitting Be'er Tuvia, Eshkol, and Sdot Negev regional councils, as well as Ashdod. No injuries or damage were reported.

Altogether 14 rockets exploded in Israel Friday.

Palestinian sources in Gaza reported, meanwhile, that the IDF bombed a terror cell in the Gaza City neighborhood in Zeitun. A 22-year old gunman was killed, according to reports, and another was injured.

Escalation in south:

At around 4 pm, residents of Kiryat Malachi, Gedera, Gan Yavne, and other towns nearby reported hearing rocket alerts followed by explosions. Two Grad rockets exploded in open spaces in the area.

About an hour later a Qassam rocket was fired from Gaza and exploded in Eshkol Regional Council, and at around 6:20 pm two rockets were fired, one hitting Ashdod and the other exploding in Sdot Negev Regional Council. No injuries or damage were reported.

Effie, a resident of Kiryat Malachi, told Ynet, "I was taking the trash out and there was an alarm. I heard a very loud boom. I realized a rocket must have fallen in the area."

The rockets followed two others, which were fired at Be'er Tuvia on Friday morning. The head of the regional council, Dror Shor, said he had noticed farmers in the area did not respond quickly enough to rocket alerts.

"It was fortunate the rockets fell in open spaces, but it could have ended differently," he said.

Terrorists pelted Israel with rockets throughout the day Friday. A rocket fired at Ashdod at dawn exploded in the courtyard of a haredi yeshiva and left 10 people injured. Magen David Adom emergency services said two men were seriously injured.

Before dawn Palestinian sources reported the Air Force had launched a wave of assaults in Gaza, targeting numerous sites within the Strip in the wake of a terror offensive in southern Israel that left eight people dead Thursday.

A few hours after the attacks, Israeli aircraft killed the terror masterminds behind the multipronged offensive that targeted a bus, civilian cars and IDF soldiers near Eilat.