Hamas militant group has released footage showing the use of a Chinese-made HJ-8L Red Arrow anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) against an Israeli Namer Combat Engineering Vehicle (CEV).
The attack occurred near the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
The video depicts the Namer being struck on its side by the missile, resulting in a fire. A Caterpillar 966G wheeled tractor is then seen extinguishing the blaze with sand. The presence of the Chinese ATGM in Hamas’s arsenal raises questions about its acquisition.
The HJ-8, or Hongjian-8, is a second-generation, tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile system. Originally deployed by the People’s Liberation Army in the late 1980s, it is comparable to the US BGM-71 TOW and the Franco-German MILAN/Euromissile HOT systems. The HJ-8 has seen use in conflicts across Yugoslavia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka.
🇵🇸🇮🇱 Al-Qassam Brigades destroyed an IDF Engineering Vehicle in Rafah, Gaza Strip.
The attack was carried out with a very rare ‘HJ-8L’ (Red Arrow) anti-tank guided missile which was manufactured by China 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/c5PUX7CRPF
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 24, 2024
Designed with a HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead, the HJ-8 integrates elements from several Western ATGM systems. Analysts suggest the tripod is derived from the BGM-71 TOW, the tracker-control unit from the MILAN, and the missile from the UK Swingfire.
The Israeli military is yet to comment on the incident.