However, data analyzed by the News’ Data and Forensics Unit indicates that the group was aiming for a military base located 2.4 km (1.5 miles) from the attack site on the same day. The rocket would have traveled approximately 10.2 km (6.3 miles) before impacting the sports field in Majdal Shams, which is well within the 11 km range of a Falaq-1. “It’s an old, unguided artillery rocket,” stated Shaan Shaikh, deputy director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “There was actually an incident in 2005.”
Hezbollah has reportedly been bombing the Ma’ale Golani military base for several months, according to Fabian Hinz, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
“When you plan military operations like this, there’s always a chance for error,” he stated.
Particularly with an unguided rocket like the Falaq-1—which Mr. Hinz characterized as “very short range but very heavy”—that is true.
“It’s something to lob large amounts of explosives over relatively short distance,” he stated.
