Incendiary balloon lands in backyard
Balloon carrying flammable material lands in Jerusalem backyard
Authorities unable to immediately determine whether the balloon discovered by four children in southern neighborhood of Gilo was launched by terrorists, but city leader calls on PM to 'act quickly' if it was.
A balloon rigged with flammable material landed on Friday morning in the backyard of a home in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, but security forces could not immediately confirm that it was terror-related.
Four children in the family home spotted the balloon which was carrying a linen cloth and an incense stick.
The balloon did not set on fire and sappers who were called to the scene took it for inspection to examine the flammable object.
Incendiary balloon lands in backyard
Four children in the family home spotted the balloon which was carrying a linen cloth and an incense stick.
If authorities establish that the balloon was launched as part of a nationally-motivated attack, it would mark the first time that an incendiary balloon, an object with which Israeli Gaza border communities have become familiar, has been used in Jerusalem since the phenomenon began more than three months ago.
Ofer Ayoubi, an administrative leader in Gilo, responded to the incident. “I view this incident extremely seriously and I am very concerned that if this is terror, our neighbors in the territories (West Bank) have learned how to use terror kites,” he said.
Sappers called to the scene
“I call on the prime minister and the defense minister to act quickly, to determine the origin and to prevent the recurrence and increase in terror kites so we don’t find gardens and burning houses here in the neighborhood. We can’t be turned into Gaza,” he added.
Police called on residents to be cautious and alert and to report any suspicious items such as kites and balloons which could be affixed with flammable materials or substances.
