Rockets

I did a story on the Katyushas. I spent two days following the police and then the bomb squad around. The first day, I rode with the local police in Kiryat Shimona, one of the heaviest hit towns in Israel and where I am staying. It was very dramatic but, unfortunately, I had neither my camera nor a photographer with me.

The second day I followed the bomb squad around in a couple of towns with a photographer. As often happens, though, the scenes weren't nearly so dramatic as the day before.

The picture above was taken by Lynsey Addario, a photographer based in Istanbul. I worked with her once before covering the bombings in Istanbul a few years ago.

I stayed outside. The writer often hangs back, so as not to get in the way. The photographers always get as close as possible. This is why journalists who get wounded or killed are usually photographers and cameramen and rarely the writers.

This is the tail of a 122 millimeter-diameter Katyusha, probably made in Iran. You can see the spring-loaded tail fin that pops open when the rocket leaves the launching tube.

This is all that is left of a typical rocket after impact. The nose cone and first third of the rocket carrying the explosives and shrapnel (often ball bearings) disintegrates.

This is the logo of the Israel police bomb disposal unit on the sign on the door of their Galilee headquarters in Acre.