Hundreds of frightened Israelis called the police on Thursday evening, saying they had seen a strange light shining in the sky with a trail of smoke. The strange light was seen in many places throughout Israel, from the Golan Heights and south.

A resident who lives in the vicinity of the Shomron community of Yitzhar told Arutz Sheva, “At about 8:45 p.m. a shiny body moving diagonally toward the atmosphere and leaving an expanding cloud behind it was seen in the skies in the Yitzhar area.”

Police said the incident is being reviewed with IDF officials. The IDF Spokesman’s Unit said it was not familiar with the incident and that it was being investigated.

Lebanese media also reported of unidentified objects being seen in the country’s skies and along the border with Israel. One report said that the glowing object may have been a meteorite that crashed into the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Channel 2 News reported, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday evening that it successfully launched a ballistic nuclear missile as part of an experiment in Kazakhstan.

One possibility which has not yet been verified, according to the report, is that the strange light in Israel’s skies is the result of the missile launch. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 06/08/12)