At least five Israeli security guards were killed and four wounded late Thursday night in a combined bombing and shooting attack at the Karni crossing point from the Gaza Strip, military sources said. Three Palestinian terrorists were reported killed. According to first reports, the terminal came under shell and gunfire, and then, shortly before 11 p.m., a truck loaded with explosives drove up to a wall in the southern part of the terminal and blew up, smashing a hole through which the gunmen entered. They opened fire in all directions, causing the Israeli casualties before they were shot dead. Nine bodies were later recovered. Five have been identified as Israelis. Three were said to be Palestinians. The ninth had not been identified. Casualties were caused from both explosions. Golani forces and border police were deployed to the area with Air Force helicopter support, and pursued a third suicide bomber who apparently managed to escape, IDF officials said. Shortly after the massive explosion, gun battles erupted between security forces and Palestinian gunmen. They have since ceased. Two of the Israeli dead were security guards. MDA officials said they evacuated the four wounded to the Soroka Hosptial. Three were in critical condition and the fourth was lightly wounded. All the wounded are civilian security guards. Owing to the fierce gunbattles at the site of the explosion, Magen David Adom officials reported that they had extreme difficulty in reaching the wounded in order to treat them. The Aksa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah, claimed responsibility, as did Hamas and the umbrella Popular Resistance Committee. Fatah hailed "a martyrdom operation" at Karni, which is the main crossing point for goods transported to and from Gaza. Fatah Al Aksa Martyrs' Brigades claimed that they succeeded in sneaking a 100 kg bomb to the crossing. The attack was in response to the assassination of a member of the al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades, the organization said.