"Rami Abu Zeid, 13, was struck with missile fragments in the shoulder, chest and stomach when it exploded three meters away. His companions, Ali Darwish, 14, and his brother, Jafar, 10, escaped unhurt."
"The missile was reportedly fired either from the Soueidat or Dabshe positions, from a distance of either 4.5 kilometers or seven kilometers respectively."
"Given the distance involved, the missile was almost certainly the NT Dandy anti-tank missile, also known as Long Spike, the same rocket that targeted the Mouqalled brothers."
"The attack occurred at 10:30 A.M. as Abu Zeid and the Darwish brothers were on a hunting trip in the narrow, steep-sided wadi between Arab Salim and Jabal Rafi, on the edge of the occupation zone. The three boys, all wearing brightly colored clothing, were in view of the Soueidat post at the far end of the wadi and the Dabshe compound, above Nabatieh. Ali Darwish recalled hearing a drone a pilotless reconnaissance plane buzzing overhead in the clear morning sky."
We had stopped for a rest and as we moved off I heard a rushing noise and had just a second to throw myself on top of my brother before the missile exploded beside us, said Ali. I felt a wave of heat pass over us and we were covered in dust and stones.
"Abu Zeid, who had been walking slightly ahead of his two friends, failed to hear the incoming missile and was still standing when it exploded. The three boys fled the scene and ran to some nearby houses on the edge of Arab Salim."
Rami didnt know he was hurt until we stopped and I told him he was
covered in blood, Ali said.
Abu Zeid was driven to the Najda Shaabieh hospital in Nabatieh, where
he is recovering from his wounds.
"A villager from Arab Salim, who requested anonymity, said that the missile had been fired from either Soueidat or Dabshe and several residents had seen the rocket flying up the valley toward the children.
The fragments of the missile were left uncollected Friday because of the danger posed by venturing too far into the wadi."
"In August, The Daily Star revealed that the "Israeli" army has been using the occupation zone as a testing ground for the Dandy, the largest of three anti-tank missiles under development by "Israel's" state-owned armaments company, Rafael."
"The Dandy missile can also be launched from the ground and security sources believe that missile-firing platforms have been installed in Soueidat as well as the posts in Taibe, Bir Kallab and Beaufort castle."
"Other than the Dandy, which has a range of over 10 kilometers and is designed to be launched from helicopters, Rafael was developing the shoulder-fired Gill with a range of 2,500 meters and the Spike with a range of four kilometers."
"In response to The Daily Star story, Rafael denied the existence of the Dandy, claiming that the shoulder-fired Gill was the only anti-tank rocket being manufactured by the company".
"In September, however, Rafael signed a memorandum of understanding with the German electronics company STN Atlas, Diehl and Rheinmetall to manufacture the three missiles and market them in Germany and other European countries."
"Despite the announcement of the agreement, Rafael refuses to discuss the matter further, as the Dandy and Spike missiles are still classified in "Israel"."
"The Daily Star has repeatedly attempted to contact STN Atlas to ask if the company was aware that the "Israeli" army has been testing the Dandy missile against civilians in south Lebanon. So far, no response has been forthcoming."