Residents in Ashkelon heard two loud explosions but suffered no injuries after the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system intercepted two rockets early Sunday afternoon.
Barely 15 minutes prior to the attack, Gaza terrorists fired a Qassam rocket at the town of Sderot, located just a kilometer from the border.
One home in the town sustained a direct hit from the rocket, but miraculously no one was physically injured in the attack.
Also at about the same time, residents in Ofakim, the Eshkol region and in Merhavim also were sent racing for bomb shelters and safe spaces as the Color Red rocket alert system activated in their areas.
Earlier in the day, a number of homes in Ashkelon sustained direct hits and several people were wounded physically and through trauma-related injuries in long-range missile attacks.
One missile blasted through the roof of a four-story apartment building at about 9 a.m. after a lull of several hours. Residents raced to a bomb shelter on the second floor, reaching safety just moments before the missile struck.
A second missile hit a car, causing heavy damage but miraculously, no injuries.