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Rockets fired into southern Israel from Egypt's Sinai | Rockets fired into southern Israel from Egypt's Sinai |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Two rockets, apparently fired by Islamic militants in Egypt’s northern Sinai, have landed in southern Israel. The attack came a day after an Isis affiliate claimed that several of its members had been killed by an Israeli drone. | |
The incident is the second within the space of a month after four missiles were fired towards the Israeli Red Sea city of Eilat, suggesting an increase in tensions on Israel’s southern border. | The incident is the second within the space of a month after four missiles were fired towards the Israeli Red Sea city of Eilat, suggesting an increase in tensions on Israel’s southern border. |
The launches are the first time since 2015 that rockets have been fired at Israel from Egypt. | The launches are the first time since 2015 that rockets have been fired at Israel from Egypt. |
“Earlier today, projectiles launched from the Sinai Peninsula hit an open area in the Eshkol regional council,” the army said in a statement on Monday. “No injuries have been reported. Forces are searching the area.” | “Earlier today, projectiles launched from the Sinai Peninsula hit an open area in the Eshkol regional council,” the army said in a statement on Monday. “No injuries have been reported. Forces are searching the area.” |
Photographs in the Israeli media showed homemade rockets constructed from metal piping. | Photographs in the Israeli media showed homemade rockets constructed from metal piping. |
The two rockets were fired a day after the Isis-aligned Amaq News reported the death of four fighters in an Israeli drone strike. They were reportedly planning to launch missiles. | The two rockets were fired a day after the Isis-aligned Amaq News reported the death of four fighters in an Israeli drone strike. They were reportedly planning to launch missiles. |
According to the report, the four were travelling in a vehicle in a Sinai village near Egyptian Rafah on the border with Gaza. A Palestinian from Gaza was reportedly among those killed in the strike. | |
On 9 February, a volley of rockets from Sinai targeted the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat, with three intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system and the fourth exploding outside the city. | |
Isis claimed responsibility for the Eilat attack. The group said it had been launched “in order to teach the Jews and the crusaders a proxy war will not avail them of anything”, and threatened future “calamitous” attacks. | |
After the Eilat attack two Palestinians were killed in the Sinai by what the Islamist Hamas movement said was an Israeli airstrike. | After the Eilat attack two Palestinians were killed in the Sinai by what the Islamist Hamas movement said was an Israeli airstrike. |
Egypt is one of just two Arab countries that have signed a peace treaty with the Jewish state. Isis has been waging a deadly insurgency against Egyptian security forces in the Sinai but it rarely attempts attacks against Israel. | |
It is unclear what has prompted the recent rocket launches against Israel amid an ongoing conflict between the Egyptian military and militants in the north of the Sinai peninsula. | It is unclear what has prompted the recent rocket launches against Israel amid an ongoing conflict between the Egyptian military and militants in the north of the Sinai peninsula. |
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