Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center
Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center
Sirens have pierced the air in Israel's southern Negev province near the secretive Dimona nuclear facility, with reports of multiple blasts heard far away from the site and anti-missile systems responding.

The sirens were heard in Abu Qrenat - a village some 13 miles (21km) northwest of The Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center in the Negev desert - following reports of explosions from the vicinity of the nuclear facility on Thursday morning, according to the Jerusalem Post. A military spokesperson said the incident resulted in no casualties.

Unconfirmed footage has circulated on social media, in which a siren can be heard blaring in the distance. The location the video was captured is unclear. Another clip purporting to show the moment a missile was intercepted by Israel's defense systems has also made the rounds.



The Israeli Defense Forces issued a statement online confirming that sirens had been activated in the village, adding in a follow-up that officials believe a surface-to-air missile was launched from Syrian territory and that a counter attack had been carried out. " In response... the IDF attacked the battery that launched the missile and other surface-to-air missile batteries in Syrian territory," the military said.

A Reuters journalist some 56 miles (90km) away from Dimona reported hearing an explosion moments before the military alerted residents of the incident by text message, while the Post cited Israelis who said they heard "loud explosions" that "shook the houses" as far away as Jerusalem.