The Syrian missile hit a factory in a small Negev community

A factory in Ashalim, a small community in the Negev desert, 35km south of Beersheba,  was hit Thursday morning by a Syrian SA-5 ground to air missile fired from southern Damascus towards the Dimona nuclear reactor. Israel’s air defense batteries failed to intercept the missile before it reached this tiny southern community, which lies on the eastern side of Nahal Besor, the largest stream in the Negev. Ashalim had a population of 568 souls in 2019. Its nearest neighbors are Ezuz and Nitsana.