TEL AVIV: Two people were killed near Tel Aviv during an Iranian missile barrage, Israeli emergency responders said Wednesday, as authorities reported several impact sites across central Israel, and rail services were temporarily suspended after shrapnel struck a major train station.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service said the two victims were found unconscious in the rubble of a damaged building and were pronounced dead at the scene.
“We saw smoke rising from a building with extensive damage and shattered glass,” the emergency service said in a statement, adding that the casualties had no pulse and were not breathing when medics reached them.
Police said bomb disposal teams were operating at several impact sites in the Tel Aviv district after reports of falling munition fragments during the overnight barrage, which triggered air raid sirens across central Israel.
The latest fatalities bring the number of people killed in missile attacks on Israel since the start of the Middle East war late last month to 14, according to Israeli authorities.
In Ramat Gan, a city just outside Tel Aviv, AFP footage showed police officers, rescue teams, and military personnel working on streets littered with debris and damaged vehicles.
In nearby Bnei Brak, a man was lightly injured by shrapnel, medics said.
Images released by Magen David Adom showed destruction at several locations, including burned cars, shattered windows, and rubble scattered across streets.
Israel’s national railway company said shrapnel damaged platforms at Tel Aviv’s main train station, forcing authorities to suspend train services across the country temporarily. No injuries were reported at the station.
The military also released footage showing Home Front Command teams inspecting the station, where broken glass and damage to train windows were visible.
In a statement, the Home Front Command said its search and rescue units were operating at several sites in central Israel following reports of missile impacts.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later said they had launched missiles toward central Israel “in revenge for the blood of martyr Dr Ali Larijani and his companions”.
Israel said on Tuesday it had killed Larijani, identified as Iran’s security chief, during its ongoing strikes, and Tehran has since confirmed his death.
