Israel’s army has confirmed that a malfunction in the David’s Sling aerial interceptor system allowed two Iranian ballistic missiles to strike southern Israel, wounding dozens of people over the weekend, reports AFP.
Most of the wounded were injured by shrapnel or while rushing to shelters, Israeli first responders said. Several buildings were also damaged in the strikes.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military confirmed that it was David’s Sling, named after the Biblical figure who slew Goliath, that had malfunctioned.
Long-range ballistic missiles of the kind fired by Iran are typically handled by the Arrow system, which intercepts targets outside the atmosphere, while shorter-range threats fall to the Iron Dome and the newly deployed Iron Beam laser system.