Jihad claims responsibility for firing rockets at Israel

Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Holy War), claimed responsibility on Sunday for firing two homemade rockets early Sunday at the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon.

In a press communique sent to reporters, the group said the two improved Quds rockets were fired with one landing at the Israeli town in response to the assassination of the group's commander in Gaza three days ago.

Vowing to retaliate for the killing of Khaled al-Dahdouh, the group said in the communique that it would stage attacks against Israeli towns and settlements near the Gaza Strip and "in the Israeli depth."

Meanwhile, Fatah's armed wing al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades also claimed responsibility for firing four homemade rockets at the Israeli Sofa crossing on the borders between southern Gaza and Israel.

The group said it fired the rockets in response to the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Israeli Radio confirmed the rocket attacks from the Palestinian territories, saying two rockets landed in the sea while the other two landed at an open land of the western Negev, in southern Israel.

The radio said the Red Dawn alert system identified the launching of two rockets from northern Gaza toward the Israeli southern town of Sderot.

However, they landed in the sea, the radio added.

Meanwhile, three more rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip and landed near the border in southern Gaza, causing damage to the border fence but no casualties, the radio reported.

Source: Xinhua