An Israeli mother and her son were seriously wounded Tuesday morning in an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) attack on Kiryat Shmona fired by Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack.
Due to the city’s close proximity to Israel’s northern border, Kiryat Shmona is especially vulnerable to rocket and missile fire, leaving residents just ten seconds or less to reach a safe space after the Red Alert incoming rocket siren activates.
Sometimes the siren is not triggered at all, if the trajectory of the missile fire is low.
Medics from the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical response service said a 15-year-old boy was seriously wounded and a 47-year-old woman was in fair (moderate) condition. Both of the victims were conscious and sustained limb injuries, medics said. They were taken to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa for further care.
“We found [them] lying down in the center of the road, next to the roundabout, fully conscious, suffering from severe injuries to their lower limbs, abdomen and faces,” said senior MDA EMT Alex Mutzkin. “We provided lifesaving medical treatment and transported them to a meeting point with an MDA helicopter to airlift them to the hospital,” Mutzkin added.
“The two wounded people from Kiryat Shmona are going into surgery and then to the intensive care unit,” Dr. Hani Bahus, Rambam’s director of Trauma and Emergency Medicine told reporters subsequently. “Both are in very serious condition, but stable.”
A spokesperson for Israel Police said there was also damage to property and infrastructure.
“Police and North District police detectives are now isolating the crash scenes and searching for additional remains, to remove further risk to the public,” police said.
“Civil discipline saves lives.
“We call on the residents to avoid coming to the area and not to approach or touch the remains of missiles that may contain explosive material; report these without delay to the 100 hotline of the Israel Police.”
