Longer-range missiles hit Afula

YNetNews.com - Hizbullah steps up attacks

Police officials said that on Friday noon Hizbullah fired, for the first time, five long-range missiles carrying heavier explosives than the Pajar rockets of the type that has been fired so far. The missiles landed in open areas near Afula and in the area between Afula and Beit Shean. No injuries were reported in the attack.

Ynet has learned that some of the rockets fired in the barrages on the Western Galilee on Thursday included 220 millimeter-diameter rockets. Up until now Hizbullah had launched these rockets only at Haifa. One of these rockets had hit a train depot and killed eight employees at the place.

The missiles located near Afula are equipped with more explosives and can travel to longer distances.

Security officials that arrived at the missiles' landing site said they have never encountered such missiles before. They claimed that Hizbullah may have been trying to land the missiles in the Hadera or Netanya region, but that due to the IDF's operation in southern Lebanon, launch cells were forced deeper into Lebanese territory and pushed away from the border.

Two people were lightly to moderately wounded when four rockets fired by Hizbullah from south Lebanon Friday hit a residential neighborhood in Kiryat Shmona at around 14:30 p.m.

Four vehicles caught fire and a number of people suffered shock. Additionally, rockets landed in open areas near Carmiel, Maalot and Rosh Pina, incurring no casualties.

Following the rocket strikes a number of fires ignited which fire fighting crews were working to extinguish.