Israel activated a new missile interceptor system for the first time on Monday, in response to rockets from the fighting in neighboring Syria that were believed to be headed for Israeli territory. Over ten sirens sounded throughout areas of northern Israel shortly after 10:00AM Monday morning, including but not limited to Tzefas, the Golan Heights, Upper Galil, and the Galil. Residents were forced to rush into bomb shelters.

The joint U.S.-Israeli system, dubbed David’s Sling, is meant to counter the type of medium-range missiles that Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah terrorists have and rounded out Israel’s multi-layer aerial defense system when it became operational in 2017.

David’s Sling fired two interceptor missiles, but the missiles landed on the Syrian side of the border with Israel B”H. The feared cross-border attack was later explained to be missiles launched as part of ongoing fighting in the Syrian civil war, and they were not fired against Israel.

Following the reports of sirens sounding in northern Israel, it was concluded that the rockets were from internal fighting in Syria where they later fell. In response to the threat,the IDF launched 2 David’s Sling aerial defense system interceptors. No injuries or damage reported

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 23, 2018

A defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the event with the media, said Israel had identified two surface-to-surface SS-21 rockets launched from Syria carrying a payload of hundreds of kilograms that they believed were headed for Israeli-controlled territory. The official said the rockets landed just one kilometer from the Israeli Golan Heights.

He said the sirens were set off when one of the interceptors self-destructed. He called the incident the system’s “first successful operational interception.”

David’s Sling’s addition last year marked the completion of Israel’s multi-tier system that includes the Arrow, designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles in the stratosphere with an eye on Iran, and Iron Dome, which defends against short-range rockets from the Gaza Strip.

David’s Sling was developed by Israeli defense firm Rafael with American defense giant Raytheon.

Monday’s incident came after Israel earlier this month, twice in the same week, fired a Patriot missile at an unmanned aircraft that approached the country’s border from Syria.

In June, Israel fired a missile at a drone that approached its airspace near the Syrian frontier.

(AP / YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)