Terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza escalated attacks against Israel Sunday and fired Russian-made anti-tank missiles for the first time. The missiles exploded in the fields of Kibbutz Alumim, adjacent to the separation fence, and no injuries or damage was reported. The advanced missiles were of the type usually fired from helicopters, and they carry a larger payload and have a longer range than anti-tank missiles that previously have been used in attacks against Israel. The S5K air-to-ground missiles are commonly used by terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq, but they are less accurate when fired from the ground. The use of the weapons bears out Israeli intelligence warnings that Hamas has stockpiled advanced arms, including anti-aircraft missiles. The firing of the Russian-made missiles is a sharp escalation from the usual homemade Kassam rockets. The Western Negev has sustained more than 270 mortar shell and rocket assaults since the end of the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign, which began nearly a year ago. Several rockets previously have hit Kibbutz Alumim, but virtually all of them have exploded in open fields.
