The unprecedented Iranian "Kamikaze Drones" Similar to Shahed-136 drones were the centerpiece of Iran’s unexpected attack Saturday on Israel.
Iran, in its first direct attack on Israel, launched a five-hour barrage of drones and missiles, in response to an Israeli strike that killed two Iranian generals in a diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria, on April 1 2024.
Iran's weekend attack was its promised retaliation for that Israeli strike in Damascus, which killed seven officers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals.
Israel however,closed its airspace at midnight and fully activated its air defense systems ahead of the Iranian assault. It took several hours for the drones to reach Israeli airspace. Alerts began to sound across Israel at about 2 a.m. local time on Sunday (7 p.m. Eastern Saturday), the IDF said.
These self-detonating drones carry out one-way attacks, delivering small payloads of explosives. Analysts say they are relatively accurate, long-ranged and inexpensive compared to missiles used to shoot them down. Its nose contains a warhead and can be equipped with a camera.
