MIDEAST > Israel radio says rocket landed in Jerusalem area, no casualties

GAZA/TEL AVIV

The armed wing of Islamist group Hamas said it fired a Qassam rocket towards Jerusalem, minutes after air raid sirens sounded around the holy city, Reuters reported.
 
There were no immediate reports of any impact.

Loud blast in Tel Aviv, sirens wailing: AFP

A loud blast rocked Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon as sirens wailed to warn of an incoming rocket for the second day running, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

Police said sirens had sounded but could not immediately confirm that anything had hit the Tel Aviv area, in an alert that came a day after a rocket fired from Gaza landed in the sea just off the sprawling coastal city.
 
Shortly before the sirens went off, AFP reporters in central Gaza City reported hearing a loud bang that appeared to be caused by a rocket being fired from the area.
 
Thursday's sirens had sparked scenes of panic in Tel Aviv, with people running everywhere in search of shelter, or lying on the ground with their hands over their heads, an AFP correspondent said and TV footage showed.
 
It was the farthest that a rocket from Gaza had ever hit inside Israel, and came as the air force pressed a major bombing campaign across the Hamas-run territory.
 
Israeli news networks said it was the first time rockets had been fired at the city since the 1991 Gulf War, when it was hit by Iraqi Scud missiles.
 
The attack was claimed by Islamic Jihad, which said it had fired an Iranian-made Fajr 5 rocket at the city.
 
Tel Aviv-Jaffa lies some 60 kilometres (36 miles) north of the Gaza Strip. Fajr 5 rockets have a range of up to 75 kilometres (46 miles).
 
Earlier in the day, the army said another rocket struck Rishon LeTzion, Israel's fourth largest city, which lies 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Gaza.

November/16/2012