The Israeli military announced that a Syrian surface-to-air missile exploded in southern Israel, causing warning sirens to sound in an area near the secretive Dimona nuclear reactor. An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the Syrian missile had been launched at Israeli aircraft during a previous strike, missed its target, and reached the Dimona area. No reports of injuries or damage in Israel were reported.
The Israeli military tweeted that it is investigating whether its air defenses managed to intercept the Syrian missile that fell near the Dimona reactor. They mentioned having launched a retaliatory strike on several missile batteries in Syria, including the battery that fired the missile that landed in southern Israel.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, Syrian air defenses confronted the Israeli attack targeting areas in the suburbs of Damascus, claiming, "Our air defense systems intercepted the aggressive missiles, and most were shot down." However, it also added that four soldiers were injured during the attack, and there were some material losses.
A defector from the Syrian military indicated that the Israeli strikes targeted sites near the town of Douma, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Damascus, which is home to Iranian-backed armed groups. Israel has repeatedly targeted the region in previous attacks.
The Israeli military spokesperson indicated that the errant Syrian missile was of the S.A.-5 type and was one of several missiles launched at the Israeli army's aircraft. It was clarified that the reactor was not hit and that the missile fell approximately 30 kilometers away from it.
A Reuters reporter located about 90 kilometers north of Dimona heard an explosion just minutes before the military's tweet announced that sirens had sounded in the area. For weeks, Israeli media have reported on the bolstering of air defenses around the Dimona reactor and the port of Eilat on the Red Sea, in anticipation of a possible long-range missile or drone attack by Iranian-backed forces that could be launched from distances as far as Yemen.
