By Gil Ronen
Remains of a two Grad rockets were found in southern Israel over the Sabbath. One may have been fired from Jordan.
Friday night, residents of southern Israel heard explosions. On Saturday morning, the remains of a Grad rocket were located in the southern Arava, not far from Eilat. Saturday evening, the remains of another 122 mm. Grad were found near Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev.
It is still not clear whether the rocket found near Eilat was fired from the Sinai Desert or from Jordan. The IDF did not say where either rocket was fired from – only that it is investigating both events.
An Egyptian security official denied that the rocket was fired from the Sinai. "These are false accusations by Israel designed to harm the security situation in Sinai and influence the elections that are being held today," the official told Egyptian newspaper Al Masri al Youm.
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| Grad found in Ovda area (Photo: Dotan Halbreich) |
By Yoav Zitun
The IDF continues to investigate the circumstances behind the firing of two rockets that hit the Ovda and Mitzpe Ramon areas over the weekend. Their remnants were found on Saturday following open area scans.
It is now believed that the rockets were fired by a cell from the Sinai Peninsula several hours before polling stations opened in the second round of Egypt's presidential elections.
Senior IDF sources have addressed the growing terrorist activity in Sinai in the past year, linking the phenomenon to elements in Gaza, but noted Israel's limited intelligence on the region.
The lack of intelligence enables terrorist organizations to turn Sinai not only into a training ground and weapons smuggling route, but also into a terror hotbed in the wake of low police presence.
Army officials are concerned that despite the substantial progress made in the construction of the border fence, terrorist groups sending cells into Sinai will use the area to fire rockets knowing that the IDF will refrain from mounting counter strikes on Egyptian sovereign territory.
Nevertheless, the IDF maintains close cooperation with Egyptian forces.
