(Communicated by the IDF Spokesperson)
On evening, Friday, September 25, 2009, an Israel Air Force aircraft targeted and identified hitting three terrorists east of Gaza City who were on their way to fire rockets at Israel's southern communities.
The three terrorists hit were Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives residing in Gaza City, and part of a terrorist cell that has been firing rockets into Israel for the past few weeks, including rockets that hit the city of Sderot during the holiday of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) a week ago. The names of the three terrorists are Mahmoud Mussah Rammadan Bana, Kamel Hamdan Ibrahim Dakhdukh and Mohamed Salem Barawi Marshoud.
Approximately 50 rockets and mortar shells were launched at Israel during the last three months, totalling more than 250 since the end of Operation Cast Lead and more than 750 in 2009. Throughout 2008, over 3300 rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel.
The IDF will respond harshly to any attempt to break the calm in Israel's southern communities.
Special footage: IAF hit on Kassam launchers