GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed a Hamas militant during clashes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the Islamist group and medical workers said.
Six other gunmen and a civilian were wounded as Israelitroops backed by aircraft clashed with Palestinian militantgroups in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, Hamas securitysources said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said forces acting in thesouthern Gaza Strip had identified a number of gunmenapproaching them and had shot some of them.
Israel frequently carries out air strikes and ground raidsagainst militants in the coastal enclave in what it says is aneffort to stop militants firing rockets into southern Israelitowns.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by AriRabinovitch; Editing by Editing by Janet Lawrence)