As Israel was celebrating its 67th Independence Day, terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at the Sderot area on Thursday evening, ending four months of quiet and triggering air raid sirens in the area.

The projectile exploded harmlessly in an open, uninhabited area, the Israeli army said, adding that security forces were searching for its remnants.

A resident of the western Negev told Ynet news, “We heard the siren and ran to the safe room. We closed the door and then heard a big explosion, I know it was definitely a Kassam rocket because I recognize the sound. It was surprising because we are in a quiet period here, we weren’t really prepared.”

In response, the IDF struck a terror target in northern Gaza to the earlier rocket attack, the IDF spokesperson’s unit said.

It was not immediately clear which organization launched the attack.

source: eipa