Malfunctioning IDF interceptor missile fired at drone appears to crash in Jordan’s Aqaba
Video footage shows errant projectile impacting near luxury development, just a few hundred meters from the border; kingdom’s military says no injuries or damage caused in crash
A malfunctioning Israeli interceptor missile was reported to have crashed inside Jordan early Monday morning after the Israeli Air Force said it had intercepted a drone approaching the Eilat area from Iraq.
Videos posted online of the incident showed the malfunctioning interceptor hitting the kingdom’s Red Sea city of Aqaba, which nearly abuts Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city.
In the video footage, the interceptor appeared to land near the Ayla inlet, a luxury development just a few hundred meters from the border with Israel.
Two explosions could be heard, one seemingly triggered as part of the missile’s apparatus aimed at destroying enemy projectiles, and a second caused by the missile impacting with the ground.
The IDF initially said that an interceptor missile fired at a drone approaching from Iraq had malfunctioned and fallen in the Eilat area.
The Jordanian military confirmed several hours later that a “flying object” had crashed in the Aqaba area, the kingdom’s state-run Petra news agency reported.
The report made no mention of Israel and did not elaborate on the nature of the crashed object.
???????????????? The Israeli Iron Dome interceptor, which failed after attempting to intercept an Iraqi drone over Eilat, fell in the Aqaba area in Jordan!!#WWIII #Israel #iranattack #Jordan #droneattack pic.twitter.com/u9OIG5ZDTD
— THE SQUADRON (@THE_SQUADR0N) November 18, 2024
There were no injuries or damage as a result of the crashed interceptor missile, Petra reported, and sappers were called to the scene of the impact to assess the situation.
The Jordanian military called on curious onlookers to maintain a safe distance from the site of the impact, and warned them against touching or tampering with the shell.
Shortly after midnight on Monday, the military said that it had shot down a UAV fired “from the east” — the term used by the military to denote projectiles launched from Iraq — after sirens were activated in Eilat.
It said that the air force had downed the drone before it entered Israeli territory.
Following the sirens in the Red Sea resort city, the United Hatzalah rescue service said it was treating a number of people seeking help for acute anxiety.
The drone launch was claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-backed militia which said it had targeted a “vital asset” in the Eilat area.
