(Ynet News) Yoav Zitun - The Syrian SA5 missile intercepted by Israel's Arrow 2 defense system on Friday carried a warhead with 200 kg. of explosives and would have landed in the Jordan Valley. The Syrian missile was launched from a base near Homs around 2:40 a.m., and Israel's aerial defense forces had less than a minute to decide to launch the Arrow. "It is a heavy-weight Syrian armament," said a senior Air Force officer on Monday. "We didn't care if it was a surface-to-surface missile or a surface-to-air missile.... The Arrow was chosen in accordance with the level of threat and the availability of the defense systems on hand. There was no other option except to intercept." The commander of the IAF's Aerial Defense, Brig.-Gen. Zvika Haimovich, said: "The missile fired posed a threat to Israeli citizens. The guidelines are to protect the people of Israel and that is what we did."
2017-03-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive