Ido Franky, 17, rushed to shelter with his family as air raid sirens blared across the southern Israeli town of Arad on the night of 21/3.

"Boom, boom! The explosions rang out, and my mother screamed," he said near the missile impact site, where three buildings were damaged and fires erupted. "It was horrific. This town has never been attacked like this."

"The whole house shook, the curtains rattled, and the ground swayed," recounted taxi driver Mike Getner, 45. "You could clearly feel the missile landing right next to you."

Arad residents inspect damage to an apartment building hit by an Iranian attack on 22/3. *Photo: AFP*.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service reported that 84 people injured at the scene were hospitalized, including 10 in serious condition.

In the early hours of 22/3, dozens of people remained at the scene, taking photos or calling friends and family to share information, despite authorities broadcasting warnings for residents to stay clear.

Security forces patrolled the streets with flashlights while rescue teams searched for victims in the rubble. The attack left a crater about 5 meters wide between the hit buildings.

Rescue forces at the attack site in Arad in the early hours of 22/3. *Photo: AFP*.

Hours before striking Arad, Iranian missiles also hit the town of Dimona, 25 km to the southwest. Dimona is believed to house the Middle East's only nuclear weapons facility, though Israel has never confirmed possessing nuclear weapons.

The missile landed about 5 km from the facility, injuring 30 people. Videos on social media showed a massive fireball descending from the sky. An apartment building was heavily damaged, with a large bomb crater next to it.

Yitzhak Salem, 62, was sheltering with his wife in a fortified safe room at their home in Dimona when the explosion occurred, filling the room with smoke and dust. "It felt like a violent storm combined with an earthquake," he recounted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated this was "a very difficult evening in the battle for our future."

"We are determined to continue attacking our enemies on all fronts," Netanyahu told Arad's mayor.

Damage in the southern Israeli town of Dimona following an Iranian attack on 22/3. *Photo: Reuters*.

Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israeli military, announced on social media platform X that "air defense systems were operational but failed to intercept the missiles; we will investigate this incident."

Images from Arad and Dimona depict the ferocity Israeli residents have faced in continuous attacks since 28/2, when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, and Tehran initiated retaliatory operations. The immense blast pressure threw residents to the ground and shattered glass windows.

At least 15 people in Israel and four Palestinians in the West Bank have died in Iranian missile attacks. The 21/3 attacks on Dimona and Arad were among Tehran's most damaging strikes against Israel. Conversely, US and Israeli missiles are also causing severe damage in Iran, where over 1,500 people have been killed.

Hong Hanh (via AFP)