Israeli air defences thwart dual missile waves targeting southern regions

The Israeli Home Front Command confirmed that there were no casualties resulting from these latest incidents. However, the military remains on high alert as projectile launches continue to threaten various parts of the territory.

In a simultaneous development, sirens were activated across central Israel. Al Jazeera, drawing on reports from Ynet News, stated that these alarms were triggered by a projectile launched from Lebanon, which was subsequently intercepted by defence systems.

These interceptions followed earlier reports of "loud explosions" in central Israel, where air raid sirens sounded following a missile strike from Iran, according to Al Jazeera, citing Channel 12. Debris was seen falling in central parts of the country, and the Israeli ambulance service provided medical assistance to four individuals who sustained injuries while heading to a shelter.

While the Home Front Command initially announced that the incident in the central region was over, the situation remained tense as new threats were identified. Authorities later detected rocket and missile fire launched towards southern regions, prompting an urgent call for residents in the south to take shelter immediately.

This escalation comes amid a significant intensification of Israeli operations, including a targeted airstrike by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in Tehran that killed two senior Iranian intelligence officials. In a post on X, the IDF stated, "ELIMINATED: Abdollah Jalali-Nasab & Amir Shariat, senior intelligence officials of the 'Khatam al-Anbiya' Emergency Command. The two senior commanders were key figures in the Iranian intelligence community and close to the leadership of the Iranian terrorist regime."

According to the Jerusalem Post, the strike was conducted with precise guidance from Israeli Military Intelligence. The two men had recently been appointed as acting replacements in the intelligence division after their predecessor, Saleh Asadi, was killed during the early phase of what Israel calls Operation Roaring Lion.

The Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command is responsible for gathering and analysing intelligence to help shape Iran's military decision-making against Israel. Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin noted that this operation is part of a broader campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure.

Since the start of the campaign, hundreds of IAF aircraft have struck over 150 Iranian government targets. Defrin added that the operation began with a surprise attack after intelligence identified gathering points in Tehran where senior Iranian security leaders had assembled.

Earlier, the IDF stated that its joint military operations with the US against Iran will continue until an "existential threat" to Israel is eliminated. Speaking to ANI, IDF spokesperson Lt Ben Cohen stressed that Israel is prepared for a prolonged operation to neutralise Iran's military capabilities.

"I'm not going to give any specific timeframe, but I'll tell you that we're going to keep going until we know that we've taken away that existential threat," Cohen said. He noted that while Israel generally seeks to avoid prolonged conflicts, the scale of the threat means operations against Iran's infrastructure could take time. (ANI)