An Israel Air Forces (IAF) aircraft fired at least one missile in the northern Gaza Strip early Wednesday, in an immediate response to Palestinian militants ' rocket attack on a southern Israeli town.

The missile fire was launched into an open field in the Beit Hanun area in the northern strip, two hours after Palestinian militants fired a homemade rocket into the southern Israeli town of Sderot, said Israeli daily newspaper Ha'aretz.

According to the report, Israeli ground forces also aimed artillery fire at the area in Gaza and several sonic booms caused by Israeli warplanes were heard there during the night.

The Wednesday strikes were "warning shots into an open area from where Qassam rockets were launched," in an effort to prevent further attacks, an Israeli army source was quoted as saying.

There were no reports of damage or injuries from the air strikes or the rocket attack on Sderot, for which the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian ruling Fatah movement, claimed responsibility.

Sderot is a frequent target of Palestinian militants due to its proximity to the Gaza Strip. It is also the target of Monday's shelling by the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) in retaliation for killing of one of its top leaders in the West Bank by Israeli troops.

The Gaza Strip, where the Israelis pulled out in September after 38 years of occupation, has been witnessing a flare-up of new violence in the past few days when Israeli forces and Palestinian militants traded revenging fires.

Source: Xinhua