https://www.dw.com/en/israel-hits-back-after-dimona-nuclear-reactor-rocket-alert/a-57282682
Israel hits back after Dimona nuclear reactor rocket alert
Israel has said it attacked Syrian targets in retaliation to a missile that fell near the Dimona nuclear reactor. The reports came as tensions between Israel and Iran have been heightened.
The Israeli military said early Thursday that a missile was fired from neighboring Syria, and that it had struck Syrian missile batteries in retaliation.
Earlier, air raid sirens were heard in Israel's Dimona town, which has a nuclear reactor, indicating a possible incoming attack. National media also reported loud sirens in central Israel. The reports came as tensions between Israel and Iran have worsened.
A spokesperson for the Israel military said a surface-to-air missile exploded in southern Israel, but no damages or injuries were reported. The missile was an SA-5, and did not hit the reactor.
Syria's state news agency said Syrian air defenses had intercepted the Israeli attack. "Air defenses intercepted the rockets and downed most of them," it said.
Israel's secretive Dimona nuclear facility is widely believed to be the centerpiece of an undeclared nuclear weapons program.
Iran has blamed Israel for a series of incidents targeting its nuclear program. Israel has opposed US efforts to revive the nuclear deal. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Last week, Iran's Kayhan newspaper published an opinion piece by Iranian analyst Sadollah Zarei suggesting Israel's Dimona facility be targeted after the attack on Natanz. Zarei cited the idea of "an eye for an eye" in his remarks.
tg/rc (AP, Reuters)