Witnesses said the strikes hit a multi-storey building and that tanks also opened fire shortly afterwards. Palestinian medical sources said there were no casualties and that a group of people inside the building was able to escape.

Israeli helicopters "struck a building in the central Gaza Strip where suspected militants were hiding," a military spokesman told AFP.

"The militants planted explosive devices earlier today and planned to fire at IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers," a statement added.

"The militants returned fire toward the forces. No injuries were sustained amongst the IDF soldiers. A direct hit was confirmed."

In a separate incident, two bullets fired from the northern Gaza Strip hit a kibbutz, causing damage but no injuries, Israeli police said.

"The shots were fired from the Gaza Strip and hit a building and a vehicle in Kibbutz Zikkim," spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, referring to a collective village located several hundred metres (yards) from the northernmost part of the border between Israel and Gaza.

Rosenfeld said the shots were fired from "a large weapon, much bigger than a MAG," he said, referring to a type of machine gun. "It was a long-range, .50 calibre bullet."

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the bullets hit an industrial area of the kibbutz, with one ricocheting off the pavement and into a car windscreen, and the second hitting a mattress factory.

Rosenfeld said there was "no chance" the gun fire had originated from anywhere other than the Gaza Strip, but the Israeli army could not immediately confirm any cross-border shooting.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links

Japanese Troops Successful In Patriot Test Firings Israel halts missile shield deployment Turkey against NATO missile shield targeting Iran NATO Defense Shield In Turkey May Threaten Iran, Russia UAE Missile Deal Worth 140 Million Announced Pentagon says vapor trail from an aircraft, not a missile Iran to test own S-300 missiles despite Russia: commander Mystery missile vapor trail stumps Pentagon Kestrel Supports Project NANKEEN In Afghanistan Multi-Purpose UAVs To Get NG STARLite Radars US drone strikes kill nine militants in Pakistan LM TRACER Begins Test Flights Aboard Predator B MQ-9 UAS Northrop Grumman Bids for Marine Corps Common Aviation CnC DSP Satellite System Celebrates 40 Years ManTech Awarded US Army Contract To Provide ECCS In Afghanistan Hughes Undergoing Wideband Global SATCOM Certification Eye In The Sky Has The Sniper On Target Boeing Receives Small Diameter Bomb Contract Extension Snecma Signs Partnership Agreement With French Military Aircraft MRO Arm Display System Concept For Elbit Systems Mission Training Center Approved U.S. wins defense boost in India Suicide rates soar among US veterans: official Fighter jets top global arms sales India flight tests Kaveri engine in Russia US to boost weapons stockpile in Israel: report Chinese, US leaders vow to work together Ex-Chinese leader doesn't 'trust' Bible: Bush Walker's World: Planning NATO Mark 3 Boeing Installing Beam Control System On HEL Laser Demonstrator Maritime Laser System Shows Higher Lethality At Longer Ranges Northrop Grumman To Increase Efficiency For Next-Gen Military Laser Technology Boeing Receives Task Order For Design Of Free Electron Laser Lab Demonstrator