Drone explodes in Jordan near southern Israel’s Ramon Airport
Aircraft of unknown origin strikes open area some 200 meters from the border northeast of Eilat
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A suspected explosive-laden drone of unknown origin struck an open area in Jordan close to Israel’s Ramon Airport, which is near the border, the military and authorities said Tuesday.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said that the “suspicious aerial target” — believed by the army to be a drone — struck an area “outside of Israeli territory northeast of the city of Eilat.”
“The incident has concluded and the details are under review,” the IDF said.
According to a spokesperson for the Eilat municipality, the drone impacted around 200 meters (656 feet) from the Israel-Jordan border, just north of airport. The Israel Airports Authority also said there was no strike at the airport itself.
Images from the scene showed a fire at the location where the drone hit.
There were no reports of damage or injuries.
Ramon Airport is located some 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city, and is adjacent to the border with Jordan.
The incident came following several drone attacks on Israel by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed paramilitary groups.
Early Monday, a drone launched by the Iraqi militia struck an Israeli Navy base in Eilat, causing slight damage to a hangar.
On Sunday, the IDF said a fighter jet had intercepted “a suspicious aerial target” — also thought to be a drone — that was making its way toward Israel from the direction of Syria.
Most of the drones launched by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq have failed to cross Israel’s border or were downed by air defenses.
Eilat has come under attack by other Iran-backed groups amid the war in the Gaza Strip, including Yemen’s Houthis and a group in Syria linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
In November, a school in Eilat was hit by a drone launched from Syria, and last month, a cruise missile fired from Yemen struck an open area north of the city.
