Three Palestinian militants and three Israeli soldiers were killed early on Sunday in a gun-battle near the borders between the Gaza Strip and Israel, militant groups in Gaza announced.

However, an Israeli army spokeswoman told the Ha'aretz Daily website on the internet that three Palestinian gunmen were killed by the Israeli soldiers' gunfire near Kerem Shalom crossing on the borders, without saying whether there are Israeli soldiers killed or wounded in the attack.

She added that Israeli soldiers were trading heavy gunfire with militants on Sunday morning, after the army said one of its tanks near the Gaza Strip was hit by an anti-tank missile.

The attack on the Israeli army tank was claimed by Palestinian militants, including the Hamas armed wing, known as al-Qassam Brigades. The Popular Resistance Committees also later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Abu O'beida, spokesman of the armed wing of the ruling Hamas movement said it helped carry out the raid, which they said involved bombs and automatic weapons fire on the post, near the Sufa crossing.

"Apparently an anti-tank missile hit the post," the Israeli army spokeswoman said.

The Israeli army closed down the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip for several days last week due to a security alert that armed groups are planning an attack at the crossing.

The closure of the passage meant that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was also shut as the European Union monitors who used Kerem Shalom to access Rafah could not reach the border.

Source: Xinhua