Syrian missile explodes near Israel's Dimona nuclear reactor

A missile launched from Syria has struck Israel's Negev desert region, setting off air raid sirens near the country's top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said.

In response to Thursday's incident, it said it struck the missile launcher and other targets in neighbouring Syria.

The Israeli army said the missile landed in the Negev region and the air raid sirens were sounded in a village near Dimona, where Israel's nuclear reactor is located.

There was no word on whether anything had been struck, but explosions were reported across Israel.

The incident near the Dimona nuclear reactor, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement.

Iran, which maintains troops and proxies in Syria, has accused Israel of a series of attacks on its nuclear facilities, including a recent fire at its Natanz nuclear facility, and vowed revenge.

For weeks, Israeli media have said air defences around the Dimona reactor and the Red Sea port of Eilat were being strengthened in anticipation of a possible long-range missile or drone attack by Iranian-backed forces.

In public remarks on Thursday's incident, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said the anti-aircraft missile was fired from Syria during an Israeli strike there against "assets that could be used for a potential attack against Israel".

 Siren alerts are generally activated by rocket attacks, especially those from besieged Gaza.

A Reuters news agency reporter about 90 km away from Abu Qrenat heard the sound of an explosion early on Thursday minutes before the military's text message.

According to the Jerusalem Post, residents from across the country, including central Israel and Jerusalem, reported hearing "loud explosions" that "shook the houses."

The explosion was reportedly the result of a patriot battery responding to a missile launched toward Israel, The Post said.

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