Jerusalem, March 1 (IANS). At least nine people were killed in a missile attack by Iran on Sunday on a residential area in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. According to local media, many houses were badly damaged in the attack.
According to reports, the missile fell in a residential area, destroying a synagogue and a public bomb shelter. Nearby houses have also been heavily damaged.
City Mayor Shmuel Greenberg said 20 residents could not be contacted. However, he said, “It does not mean that something has happened to him. We may not be able to find him, but we are making every possible effort.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) alleged that Iran deliberately targeted civilian areas. In a statement released on Thursday, the IDF said that the Iranian regime fired missiles directly towards the civilian area of Beit Shemesh, resulting in the loss of innocent lives.
The IDF said it “targets terrorist targets with precision”, while Iran targets civilians as a tactic of war.
Earlier, the IDF had claimed that Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi and seven other top security officials were killed in the attack in Tehran.
The IDF also claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attack on his leadership compound in Tehran. According to the Israeli Army, this action was taken on the basis of accurate intelligence information.
Israel says the operation is part of a broader strategy to target prominent figures associated with the so-called “Iranian terrorist axis.”
Tension has deepened across the Middle East following the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. A series of attacks and counter-actions continue between the two sides, increasing the possibility of regional instability.
–IANS
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