Israeli air defenses “shot down a cruise missile” fired at the southern Golan Heights “from the east,” the Israel Defense Forces said Thursday.
The army has previously described attacks from Iraq as coming “from the east.” Initially, the projectile was thought to be a drone and triggered sirens.
No injuries or damage were reported from the attack.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility from Iran-backed militias in Iraq. These groups have claimed several drone attacks on the southern city of Eilat in recent months.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces—a coalition of former paramilitary forces now part of Iraq’s regular armed forces—has claimed dozens of drone attacks on Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Although many of their claims have been exaggerated, they did manage to hit an Israeli Navy base in Eilat, causing damage. The Iran-backed group said it struck a “vital target” in Israel “with appropriate weapons,” without providing further details.
Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Syria have also claimed to have launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel during the ongoing conflict sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack.
Additionally, Hezbollah in Lebanon has been attacking communities and IDF positions in northern Israel almost daily, citing support for Gazans amid Israel’s war against Hamas.
Last month, Iran carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles.
On Thursday, Israeli air defenses mistakenly shot down an IDF drone over the northern border community of Shlomi. The IDF is investigating the incident, which caused sirens to sound in Shlomi due to fears of falling shrapnel.
Earlier that day, an apparent drone launched from Lebanon was intercepted by the Iron Dome over northern Israel.
