Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on April 26 that it removed the remains of an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile that was found by hikers near the Ye’elim stream, close to the town of Arad, in southern Israel earlier this week.
An Israeli Air Force CH-53 helicopter lifted the intercepted missile out of the area to another location, where the Fire and Rescue Services removed any hazardous materials, the IDF said, adding that the remains were then taken to an army base to be further examined.
According to the IDF, the operation, coordinated by the Home Front Command, was “complex” due to the weight of the missile and the difficult terrain.
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- Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
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- Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
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- Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The missile was one of 120 fired at Israel in the Iranian attack on April 13-14. Some 170 suicide drones and 30 cruise missiles were also launched during the attack, which was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a response to an Israeli strike that targeted the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, at the start of the month. Several senior members of the guards were killed in the strike.
Israel alleged that 99% of the Iranian projectiles were intercepted by the IDF with help from American, British French and Jordanian forces, including all the suicide drones and cruise missiles. However, it was revealed later that nine ballistic missiles hit two air bases in the south of the country and another projectile landed in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
The ballistic missiles used in the attack were reportedly of the Emad, Ghadr-110, Kheibar Shekan and Shahab-3B types. The remains found near the Ye’elim stream likely belong to a Ghadr-110 missile. It is unclear however if the missile was indeed intercepted as the IDF claimed.
Israel responded to the Iranian attack on April 13 by attacking the 8th Shekari Air Base near the city of Isfahan using ballistic missiles launched by warplanes from over the Syrian border with Jordan and Iraq as well as small suicide drones that were allegedly launched from within Iranian territory.
Overall, the Iranian attack revealed serious problems with the Israeli missile defense network. It also sent a strong message to Israel and its allies.
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