At least 160 people in two southern Israeli have been injured – some seriously – in Iranian retaliatory missile strikes close to a nuclear facility, Israeli emergency officials say.
According to verifiable reports is that 84 people are being treated in Arad and another 78 in Dimona, after ballistic missiles hit the towns on Saturday evening.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it is not aware of any damage to the nuclear research facility located about 13km (eight miles) outside Dimona.
Iranian state TV earlier said the strikes were in response to an attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on Saturday. The IAEA says “no increase in off-site radiation levels” has been reported there.
ballistic missiles got through Israel’s sophisticated air defences late on Saturday, hitting buildings in the two southern Israeli towns.
In Arad, local residents said the blasts they heard were terrifying. The missile badly damaged several buildings, leaving a deep crater.
“This is a very severe scene,” emergency medical technician Yakir Talkar said in a statement describing Arad, adding there were “many wounded with varying degrees of injury”.
The nearby town of Dimona experienced a similar missile strike.
Among the many injured there is a 10-year-old boy. Medics describe his condition as serious.
Israeli authorities are now investigating how the Iranian missiles made it through air defence systems.
“In both Dimona and Arad, interceptors were launched that failed to hit the threats, resulting in two direct hits by ballistic missiles with warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms,” Israeli firefighters said.