Eilat, with Jordanian Aqaba in the background.

Photo by: Ariel Jerozolimski

Jordanian man dies in rocket attack on Eilat area

By YAAKOV KATZ AND JPOST.COM STAFF
08/02/2010 08:31

Projectiles suspected to have been fired from Sinai; 2 fall in Red Sea, 2 in Jordan, 1 near Eilat; IDF in contact with Jordanian, Egyptian armies; source of attack unclear.

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Five rockets landed in the area around Eilat Monday morning, killing one Jordanian and injuring three more, in front of the Intercontinental Hotel.

two of the rockets exploded in Jordan, a third north of Eilat's hotel area, and two more in the Red Sea. The projectiles were thought to be Grad-type Katyushas launched from the Sinai Peninsula.

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According to an IDF statement, soldiers were scouring the area to determine the source of the attacks, which was unclear. The IDF was in contact with the Jordanian and Egyptian armies regarding the incident.

A possible group behind the rockets could have been Hamas, which is known to use Sinai to smuggle weaponry and operatives in and out of the Gaza Strip. There are also known to be Global Jihad elements in the Sinai who have the capability to fire rockets toward Eilat.

Rocket attacks in Eilat are rare but not unheard of, with two attacks having occurred in the last five years.

In April, two rockets fired landed in Eilat and the adjacent Jordanian port of Aqaba.

In 2005 a rocket fired from Jordan landed next to the Eilat airport and two others missed a US Navy vessel docked at the nearby Jordanian port of Aqaba. No one was reported hurt. A group linked with al- Qaida claimed responsibility for the attack.

In January 2007, a deadly attack by a Palestinian suicide bomber in Eilat killed three men working at a bakery. Both Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs claimed responsibility for the attack.