BICOM

At least two rockets slammed into Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat at around 9.00am (local time), although they appeared to have caused no injuries or damage.

The Code Red siren was sounded across Eilat, sending residents fleeing for cover. Channel Two reports that one rocket fell in the vicinity of a home while another landed in an open area. Meanwhile, the Ynetnews is reporting that there was possibly a third explosion. Police and security forces in the area have been dispatched to locate traces of the rockets.

It is not yet clear where the rockets were fired from, although Eilat mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevy told Army Radio that they were likely launched from Egypt’s neighbouring Sinai Peninsula. Earlier this month, Egyptian naval forces intercepted a vessel laden with weapons on suspicion that it was delivering arms to terrorist groups in Sinai. In June 2012, a Grad rocket landed just north of Eilat, which Israeli defence officials estimated had been fired from Sinai. Indeed, the Sinai border has been the launching pad for three deadly attacks on Israel since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt in 2012.

The IDF deployed an Iron Dome battery just outside Eilat just weeks ago, although it is unclear at this stage whether it was activated or whether it intercepted rockets during this morning’s attack. Eilat mayor Halevy said that life in the city is “slowly returning to normal” although air traffic over Eilat has been suspended for the time being. Eilat is a popular tourist destination and Israeli authorities will be particularly concerned to prevent further attacks, which may have a particular impact on tourism and the economy.