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Teenagers looking at the damage done by a Qassam to a house in Sderot, Saturday. (David Boimovich / Jini)
Last update - 08:51 06/01/2008
Palestinians fire barrage of rockets, shells at western Negev
By Mijal Grinberg, Yuval Azoulay and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Palestinians, IDF, Gaza Strip 

Qassam rockets and mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip rained down on the western Negev over the weekend, damaging several homes and cars in Sderot.

One man suffered from anxiety as a result of the Qassam warning alert, fell, injured his leg, and was taken to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for treatment.

A 76-year-old woman suffered chest pains resulting from anxiety and was also taken to the hospital.
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A second Qassam rocket struck an open area at the outskirts of the town, causing no damage or injuries.

The Popular Resistance Committees took responsibility for the barrage.

A Qassam rocket struck an open field in the western Negev on Saturday morning, causing no injury or damage. Several hours earlier, Palestinian militants fired a mortar shell at IDF troops near the Gaza border fence. No one was injured in the incident, either.

The barrage came a day after a Qassam hit the yard of a house in Sderot and the Israel Defense Forces killed two Hamas militants in the northern Gaza Strip.

Palestinians in Gaza launched seven Qassam rockets at the western Negev on Friday, one of which struck the yard of a home in the town of Sderot, causing damage.

A woman in the sixth month of pregancy was in the house at the time, and received medical attention. A 17-year-old boy suffered from shock and was subsequently evacuated to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.

Meanwhile, IDF troops on Friday shot and killed two Hamas militants in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanun, Palestinian sources said.

The total number of Palestinians killed at least 11 militants over the weekend, including four civilians. At least nine Palestinians were killed by IDF in several separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

Also Thursday, a Katyusha rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip struck an open field in northern Ashkelon, the furthest distance a rocket has struck yet - traveling some 16.5 kilometers.

The rocket that struck Ashkelon was identified as a Grad-type Katyusha, 122 milimeters in diameter. Militants acquired the rocket from Iran and have used the type before in attacks on Israel.

In response, IAF warplanes struck a series of targets associated with terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip.

The pilots who carried out the mission reported successful strikes on the targets, which included a weapons workshop belonging to Islamic Jihad in Gaza City, a building connected to a Jihad activist in the central Strip and a Hamas target in southern Gaza.

Israel expressed concern the Katyusha attack could mark an increased range to Palestinian fire. "Though until now it was only the population immediately adjacent to the Gaza Strip that was in the immediate firing line, because of the extended range we could have as many as 250,000 Israelis in the firing line," said Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Related articles:
  • Nine Gazans killed by IDF fire; Katyusha hits north Ashkelon
  • Analysis: Katyusha in Ashkelon / The other side is cautious too
  • Ashkelon decides against activating rocket alarm system
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