By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Islamic Republic of Iran launched a severe attack on Israeli territory late on Saturday night, deploying hundreds of missiles and drones.
The attack triggered air raid sirens across Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem.
However, reports show that Israeli air defences intercepted most of the projectiles, with support from the United States and the United Kingdom.
Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli military, revealed, “The Iranian salvo consisted of more than 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.”
He confirmed that the majority were shot down outside Israel’s borders.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) stated the operation, named “True Promise”, was in retaliation for “the Zionist entity’s crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Syria” on April 1, which resulted in the deaths of seven IRGC members.
The IRGC added, “The operation was carried out with dozens of missiles and drones to strike specific targets in the occupied territories.”
Israel has been on high alert since its strike on Damascus on April 1, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating, “Israel was prepared for a direct attack from Iran.”
Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant confirmed Israel was “closely monitoring a planned attack” by Iran and its allies.
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to stand with Israel against Iran, following his previous warning to Iran about an imminent attack on Israel.
Syria activated its Russian-made Pantsir ground-to-air defence systems around Damascus and major bases, while Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel temporarily closed their airspace.
Retired Israeli general, Amos Yadlin, disclosed to Channel 12 news that each Iranian drone was equipped with 20 kg (44 pounds) of explosives. Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands reported from occupied East Jerusalem, stating, “This is a country… waiting for those drones to arrive.”
Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza, now in its seventh month, has heightened tensions in the region, extending to Lebanon and Syria, with long-range fire targeting Israeli locations from Yemen and Iraq.
In a separate incident earlier on Saturday, Iranian armed forces seized a container ship linked to Israel near the Strait of Hormuz.
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