Three Israeli soldiers were injured and one Palestinian militant was killed in an attack by Palestinian militants near the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on Sunday, Israel Radio and Palestinian witnesses said.

The radio said one of the three wounded soldiers was in serious condition, adding that they were injured as Palestinian militants fired two R.B.J. shoulder-propelled missiles at Israeli armored vehicles near the borderline between Rafah and Egypt.

Palestinian witnesses said that militants fired two missiles toward different directions, the first at the borderline area and the second at an Israeli army post in Kfar Shalom on the border between Rafah and Israel.

Two militant groups jointly claimed responsibility for the attack, saying Ahmed Abu-Reesh Brigades, one of the Fatah movement's armed wings, and Saraya al-Quds, armed wing of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), are responsible.

They said that two militants first fired a missile at an Israeli army lookout post guarding one settlement, and then the two militants clashed with Israeli soldiers for about one hour.

The groups said one of the two militants was killed, who is a member of Ahmed Abu-Reesh Brigades and the other managed to pull back.

On Sunday, an Islamic Jihad militant was killed and another Fatah movement militant survived after the two attacked the settlement of Kfar Darom in central Gaza Strip.

Source: Xinhua