Israel deployed a third battery of the Iron Dome rocket defense system outside Ashdod , joining two other batteries that were deployed outside of Beersheba and Ashkelon some weeks ago. Ashdod Mayor Yehiel Lasri issued a statement thanking the defense establishment for deploying the system outside his city. Ashdod has been bombarded by rockets in recent weeks during the escalation of violence in the South in which more than 160 rockets were fired from Gaza. Barak said that by the end of 2012 Israel would have nine operational Iron Domebatteries, including thousands of Tamir interceptors. Each interceptor costs around $50,000 and usually two are fired at rockets slated for interception. Earlier this year, the US gave Israel $205 million to buy four more Iron Dome batteries.