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Rocket into Israel causes fire
07/10/2007 21:49 - (SA)
Jerusalem - Palestinian militants fired a Katyusha rocket deep into southern Israel on Sunday, the army and police said, showing an ability to extend the range of rocket attacks from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Gaza militants usually fire crude rockets that have a
maximum range of about 9km into Israel, but rarely
go beyond 3km. The Grad-type Katyusha, originally
Soviet-designed, landed about 11km inside Israel.
The Katyusha slammed into an open field, causing a brush
fire but no injuries, a police spokesperson said.
Katyushas, widely used by Hezbollah fighters to strike
Israel from Lebanon in a 2006 war, can reach a distance of 20km.
The Israeli military says it believes there are several
dozen longer-range Katyushas in the hands of militant groups in
the Gaza Strip, which was seized by Hamas Islamists in June.
No group claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack.
An Israeli army spokesperson said Israel held Hamas responsible for the Katyusha attack.
"Hamas bears responsibility for all the terror attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip regardless of who
actually fired the rocket," captain Benjamin Rutland said.
He said that use of longer range rockets meant that they
could be fired from deep inside Gaza, including from within
heavily populated areas.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has said Israel is
considering a sweeping military operation in the Gaza Strip to
counter the almost daily rocket salvoes. Israel also has
threatened to cut power it supplies to the territory unless the
attacks ceased.
- Reuters
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