US-made munition used in Israeli strike on Beirut that killed 22? Report claims first use of JDAM since 2006

A US-made joint direct attack munition (JDAM) was reportedly used in a deadly airstrike on Beirut, killing 22 people and injuring 117, marking the deadliest attack since Israel's conflict with Hezbollah intensified.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Oct 12, 2024, 7:00 AM IST | Last Updated Oct 12, 2024, 7:00 AM IST

A deadly strike on central Beirut on Thursday night, which killed 22 people and injured 117, reported had involved a US-made munition, according to an analysis of shrapnel found at the scene by The Guardian. The attack leveled an apartment building in the densely populated Basta neighbourhood, making it the deadliest strike on Lebanon's capital since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel intensified a year ago.

The building struck was sheltering residents, including those displaced by earlier Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon and the Beirut suburbs, raising the casualty toll. Rescue workers labored overnight to retrieve survivors and recover the dead from the rubble, according to first responders on the scene.

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The apartment complex targeted was believed to house senior Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa, who survived the strike. Safa, head of Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit, was reportedly the intended target, according to Reuters.

As per The Guardian report, analysis of remnants from the site revealed that a US-manufactured Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) had reportedly been used in the attack. JDAMs are guidance kits developed by the US aerospace company Boeing, as per the report. These kits are reportedly designed to be attached to conventional unguided bombs, often referred to as "dumb bombs," with sizes ranging up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg). Once equipped, the JDAM reportedly converts these bombs into precision-guided munitions using GPS technology.

The weapon's identification is said to have been confirmed by Human Rights Watch and a former US military bomb expert, further solidifying the evidence. JDAMs are one of Israel's most requested munitions from the US in its ongoing military operations.

“The bolt pattern, its position and the shape of the of the remnant are consistent with the tail fin of a US-made, JDAM, guidance kit for Mk80 series air-dropped munitions,” said Richard Weir, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watch’s crisis, conflict and arms division, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

The report further said the Mk80 series includes three classes of bombs, with the smallest weighing 500 pounds and the largest reaching 2,000 pounds.

“The use of these weapons in densely populated areas, like this one, places civilians and civilian objects in the immediate area at grave risk of immediate and lasting harm,” Weir further noted.

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As per the report, Thursday's strike marks the first confirmed use of a US-made munition in an attack on central Beirut since 2006. It has intensified criticisms of US military aid to Israel, which amounted to $17.9 billion in 2023. Human rights organizations have previously called on US President Joe Biden to halt arms transfers to Israel, citing their use in strikes against civilians, particularly in Gaza.

Lebanon has been reeling under Israel's aerial campaign since September 23, with over 2,100 people killed and 10,212 wounded in the conflict since Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israel in October, in solidarity with Hamas. The situation has caused immense grief for survivors, as families continue to grapple with the devastation.

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