Images capture the exact moments an Israeli missile hits a building in Beirut

BEIRUT — It came into view in the blink of an eye, almost too fast to be seen with the naked eye, but captured perfectly in a rare sequence by an Associated Press photographer.

The missile arced toward the building and then struck a lower floor as people ducked and ran. Seconds later, the building collapsed, sending a huge mushroom of smoke and debris into the air.

The airstrike came about 40 minutes after Israel issued an evacuation warning for two buildings in the southern suburban area of ​​Beirut, claiming they were located near Hezbollah facilities.

This caused people to flee the neighborhood, while others, including some journalists, kept vigil.

The building, on the southern outskirts of the capital Beirut, is located in a busy and densely populated neighborhood. Israel did not say why the building was demolished beyond the evacuation notice published by an Israeli army spokesman saying it was located “close to Hezbollah interests and facilities.”

Minutes before the attack brought down the building, two smaller attacks took place on the roof, which the Israeli military often calls warning strikes, according to AP journalists present at the scene. It is a practice that has been seen in Israeli attacks on Gaza in previous conflicts.

The weapon used in the attack resembles an Israeli-made bomb kit wrapped around a standard warhead used for precision airstrikes.

The most powerful versions of the weapon system are based on a 1,000- or 2,000-pound bomb equipped with a guidance kit known as SPICE, short for Smart, Precise-Impact and Cost-Effective kits.

The Israeli manufacturer of the SPICE system, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, advertises the kits as being capable of operating day or night, including in bad weather, and in areas with GPS interference. The 2,000-pound version can be launched up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) away.

The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the type of weapon.