Khaibar-1
Encyclopedia
Fajr-5
The Fajr-5 is an artillery rocket developed by Iran in the 1990s. The system is part of the Fajr family of rockets.-Overview:The latest production of the Fajr-5 is installed on a new Mercedes-Benz 6 x 6 forward control chassis and the platform is now integrated into a complete weapon system rather...
Artillery rocket renamed and used by the militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
group Hezbollah to attack cities and towns in northern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The name of the rocket was first revealed on July 28, 2006 by Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah in a speech on the group's Al-Manar
Al-Manar
Al-Manar is a Lebanese satellite television station affiliated with Hezbollah, registered as Lebanese Media Group Company, broadcasting from Beirut, Lebanon. It has an offering a "rich menu" of high production news, commentary, and entertainment. The self-proclaimed "Station of the Resistance" ,...
television station.
The Khaibar-1 is significant because it has a 75-km range, longer than most of the Katyusha-type rockets in the Hezbollah rocket force
Hezbollah rocket force
In October 2006 Hezbollah claimed to have an arsenal of at least 33,000 rockets. The Pentagon believes that Hezbollah has a rocket arsenal of around 30.000...
. The rocket was first fired at the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i city of Afula
Afula
Afula is a city in the North District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley", referring to the Jezreel Valley. The city had a population of 40,500 at the end of 2009.-History:...
, south of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. In early August 2006, Khaibar-1 rockets were reported to hit Beit Shean, about 70 km south of the Lebanese border, Hadera
Hadera
Hadera is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel approximately from the major cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The city is located along of the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain...
, and Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Israel's third-largest city.
The Israel Defence Force claims the Khaibar-1 rocket is a renamed Iranian-made Fajr-5
Fajr-5
The Fajr-5 is an artillery rocket developed by Iran in the 1990s. The system is part of the Fajr family of rockets.-Overview:The latest production of the Fajr-5 is installed on a new Mercedes-Benz 6 x 6 forward control chassis and the platform is now integrated into a complete weapon system rather...
or Fajr-3
Fajr-3
The Fajr-3 Artillery Rocket is an Iranian multiple-launch artillery rocket, a third-generation Katyusha rocket. Fajr means 'dawn' in Arabic....
rocket.
The expression 'Hai-bar' in Hebrew, which is pronounced in the same way as Khaibar (due to Israeli inability to pronounce the letter H), means a breeding ground for animals . This resulted in many Israelis reacting to the name of the rocket with humor.
Origin of the name
Khaibar, also spelled KhaybarKhaybar
Khaybar is the name of an oasis some 153 km to the north of Medina , Saudi Arabia. It was inhabited by Jews before the rise of Islam, and was conquered by Muhammad in 629 AD.-Pre-Islamic Khaybar:...
, is an oasis approximately 95 miles east of Medina, which was once the largest Jewish settlement in Arabia. The name was chosen as a reminder of the Battle of Khaybar
Battle of Khaybar
The Battle of Khaybar was fought in the year 629 between Muhammad and his followers against the Jews living in the oasis of Khaybar, located from Medina in the north-western part of the Arabian peninsula, in modern-day Saudi Arabia....
, a battle that took place in 629
629
Year 629 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 629 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Persian and Byzantine Empires :* September –...
A.D. between Muhammed and his followers against the Jewish people who inhabited the settlement.