At least four Palestinian terrorists militants were killed on Monday in a gunbattle with Israeli soldiers along the border of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, the deadliest such incident in months, medics said. The bodies of all four terrorists militants had explosives belts around them and two of the bodies were torn to shreds by explosions, the medics said after retrieving the remains. At least another 12 Palestinians were wounded in the fighting near the Nahal Oz crossing with Israel east of Gaza City, they said.
An Israeli army spokesman said ground troops backed by a helicopter gunship engaged in firefight with terrorists militants who had opened fire near the heavily-fortified frontier between Israel and the Hamas-ruled enclave. Up to 10 terrorists militants opened fire and detonated explosives against an Israeli force in the attack, according to Israeli military sources. There was no immediate claim for the attack from any armed Palestinian group in Gaza.
No Israeli troops were reported to have been killed. |