Sirens have pierced the air in Israel’s southern Negev province near the secretive Dimona nuclear facility, with reports of multiple blasts heard far away from the site and anti-missile systems responding.
The sirens were heard in Abu Qrenat, a village some 21 km northwest of The Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center in the Negev desert, following reports of explosions from the vicinity of the nuclear facility on Thursday morning, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The Israeli Defense Forces issued a statement online confirming that sirens had been activated in the village, adding in a follow-up that officials believe a surface-to-air missile was launched from Syrian territory and that a counter attack had been carried out.
A Reuters journalist some 90 km away from Dimona reported hearing an explosion moments before the military alerted residents of the incident by text message, while Israelis who heard the “loud explosions” said that “shook the houses” as far away as Jerusalem.
IDF spokesperson Hidai Zilberman later told Post reporter Anna Ahronheim that a long-range SA-5 missile was used in the apparent attack, which he said was fired toward Israel and exploded in the southern Negev. The launch came amid Israeli strikes on Syria.
While the Israeli military rarely confirms strikes on Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has boasted of “hundreds” of bombing raids on Syrian territory throughout the country’s years-long civil war against jihadist militant groups.
Tel Aviv has also frequently vowed to challenge Iran’s presence in Syria, where it has supported the government’s war effort, arguing that Tehran will use the country as a staging area from which to launch attacks.
Beginning operations in the 1960’s, the Dimona nuclear facility contains one of Israel’s few nuclear reactors.
While Israeli officials maintain the site is used for research alone, in 1986 a former technician at Dimona, Mordechai Vanunu, claimed the facility is part of an undeclared nuclear weapons program.
He showed photos and detailed technical descriptions to British media outlets which appeared to validate his explosive allegations.
Vanunu was later captured by Mossad agents in Italy, brought back to Israel and tried for treason and espionage. He has since been released from prison, but remains in Israel under heavy restrictions.
Based on Vanunu’s revelations, the Times estimated that, in 1986, Israel had enough fissile material for some 20 hydrogen bombs and 200 fission bombs.
Though the country has maintained a policy of “nuclear ambiguity” and has never publicly acknowledged any weapons program.
First it was Hezbollah that sent two missiles across tiny Israel that landed on target in to Haifa and on to Hanit and now Syrians have joined them. Israel seems to be vulnerable right now.
RT. com / ABC Flash-Point Military News 2021.
One thing for sure, those Jews have been conned by US MIC, exactly like Saudi Arab, that the Patriot system is a joke, this incident shows it and also useless against Houti’s DIY/garage made drones, and this is a fact.
Con Corporate USA?
Israel has endangered millions of lives on multiple occasions sabotaging or attacking nuclear facilities across the ME. They should have known that was a 2 way street and a dangerous precedent. I honestly cant say I feel bad for them.
The Great Reset?
The basic Zionist policy is that nobody is allowed to speak about Jews unless it is connected to the the pitiful Ukrainian Holocaust. If not it is immediately associated and directly connected to antisemitism?