Israeli soldiers kill 2 Islamic militants: Palestinians

Israeli soldiers shot dead two members of Islamic Jihad on the Gaza Strip Sunday morning, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

The two militants died to the east of Khan Yunis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, during an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers, said witnesses and the al-Quds brigade, a militant Islamist group.

The Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its gunmen were killed by Israeli fire after they detonated an explosive device against a passing Israeli patrol.

An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the clash.

"Soldiers opened fire on members of a terrorist cell which was trying to place an explosive charge in the immediate vicinity of the security barrier," she told AFP. The barrier separates Israel from the Gaza Strip.

"The incident happened in the south of the Gaza Strip and helicopters backed up the fire of the soldiers," she added.

She said that after a similar incident a month in which there were no casualties, "soldiers received instructions not to hesitate to open fire when they saw Palestinians placing booby-trap devices near the barrier."

There has been a surge of violence along the Israel-Gaza border this month, although Israel and the Islamist group Hamas in control of the Gaza Strip both have said they do not want an escalation.

Israel has in reprisal launched several air raids, the last early Saturday, which have left at least two people wounded and caused a power cut in Gaza City.