Two Katyusha rockets discovered at the northern edge of the southern Lebanon security zone Tuesday were dismantled by elements of the Israeli-allied South Lebanon Army, but not without incident.
The rocket launchers, with timing devices, were aimed in the direction of Israel. As the SLA soldiers deactivated them, one fired accidentally, sending a rocket crashing into an open field near the Israeli border.
There were no casualties or damage in the impact area or injury to the SLA troops.
Israel was the target of several volleys of Katyusha rockets fired by members of the Palestine Liberation Organization during the Persian Gulf war. All of the rockets landed short of their targets in northern Israel, coming down in the SLA-patrolled southern Lebanon security zone.
After the Gulf war cease-fire, a Katyusha did land in northern Israel but in an unpopulated area, doing no damage and causing no injury.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
