In A First, Israel Uses 'Iron Sting' Mortar Bomb Against Hamas As Fighting Intensifies — VIDEO

According to the Israel Defence Force (IDF), its Maglan unit used the high-tech weapon to target Hamas's rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip and thwart dozens of terrorists. 

IDF's Maglan unit used the high-tech weapon to target Hamas's rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip. ( Image Source :X/@IAFsite )

New Delhi: A video released by the Israeli Air Force shows the“Iron Sting” system launching a mortar bomb to take out a rocket launcher in its first-ever use in an operation on Sunday.

According to the Israel Defence Force (IDF), its Maglan unit used the high-tech weapon to target Hamas's rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip and thwart dozens of terrorists. 

''The Magellan unit, in cooperation with the Air Force, thwarted dozens of terrorists using a variety of weapons, including an innovative and accurate mortar bomb, called "Steel Sting". Watch the documentation of an attack on a rocket launcher using a "steel stinger", the Israeli Air Force said in a post on X, along with a video it said showed the 120mm mortar decimating an enemy rocket launcher.

Watch the video here:

יחידת מגלן בשיתוף חיל-האוויר, סיכלה עשרות מחבלים באמצעות מגוון אמצעי לחימה, ביניהם פצצת מרגמה (פצמ״ר) חדשנית ומדויקת, הנקראת "עוקץ פלדה".

צפו בתיעוד מתקיפת משגר רקטות באמצעות "עוקץ פלדה" pic.twitter.com/ucphdgboJN

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) October 22, 2023

According to the Jerusalem Post, the Iron Sting was developed by Elbit Systems and first revealed by the Defense Ministry, IDF Ground Forces, and Elbit in 2021. The mortar is designed for use in both open terrain and urban environments, while using its precise targeting to reduce the possibility of non-combatants being injured.

The weapon consists of a 120 mm mortar that uses GPS and laser guidance to precisely hit targets. It has a range of 1-12 km and can penetrate double-reinforced concrete, as per Jerusalem Post.

"Its operational use will revolutionize ground warfare and equip battalions with organic, accurate and effective firepower," Elbit Systems, which developed the system, said in a 2021 news release.

“[The Iron Sting] also fulfills the IDF’s needs, adapting combat capabilities to contend with enemies hidden within civilian, urban environments, while meeting the legal and moral standards set by the State of Israel,” then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in the release.

Israeli forces have conducted thousands of air strikes in Gaza and the West Bank following Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7, which killed more than 1400 people.