BREAKING NEWS: IDF Strikes Back after barrage of Gaza rockets fired at Israel

Israel responds to volley of rockets fired by at communities in the South.

Islamic Jihad reports firing 90 rockets.

Israeli air strike follows IDF shelling of 2 terror infrastructure targets in Strip. No casualties reported on Israeli side.

 

The Israel Air Force has begun bombing targets in Gaza on Wednesday in response to a large-scale Islamic Jihad rocket attack on southern communities earlier in the evening.

IDF Strikes back – Photo:REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

The IDF said at least 30 rockets had been fired toward Israeli communities near the borders with southern and northern Gaza in the largest attack since 2012’s Operation Pillar of Defense.

According to the army, eight rockets had fallen in urban, civilian areas. One rocket landed in Sderot, according to police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld, although there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israeli media reported that up to 55 rockets had been fired into Israel in the deluge of projectiles.

The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, saying that over 90 rockets had been fired toward Israel, a spokesman for Al-Quds told Palestinian news agency Ma’an.

“You haven’t yet seen the extent of our capabilities,” added the spokesman, who further threatened to fire extended range missiles.

Southern residents have reported several rocket alerts going off consecutively.

The Iron Dome rocket defense system shot down three of the rockets, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Office.

The IDF fired artillery rounds at two terror infrastructure targets in response.

On Tuesday, the Israel Air Force struck an Islamic Jihad cell in southern Gaza, minutes after identifying it as being behind a mortar attack on an IDF unit on the Gaza-Israel border.

According to military sources, the terrorists fired a mortar shell at soldiers who were conducting routine security measures near the frontier. The IDF released a video on Wednesday of the Islamic Jihad members firing toward army forces the day before.

 

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/IAF-strikes-Gaza-after-barrage-of-rockets-fired-at-Israel-345184