25-year-old Thai worker accidentally shot on northern border; 9 Kassam rockets land in Israel on Friday.
By YAAKOV LAPPINIDF tank on gaza border 248.88(photo credit: AP)
IDF units patrolling the border fence with Gaza came under anti-tank missile fire on Saturday evening, the army said. No soldiers were hurt during the incident.
The IDF Spokesman said soldiers were on a routine patrol near the Karni Crossing, on the northern border with Gaza, when an anti-tank missile was fired in their general direction. The soldiers returned fire, but no casualties were identified on the Gazan side.
Earlier, on Saturday morning, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on IDF soldiers after the army discovered two explosive devices planted on the southern border with Gaza, near Khan Yunis. Army sappers neutralized the explosives with a controlled explosion, before gunmen in Gaza fired at the troops. Soldiers returned fire, but did not identify casualties on the Palestinian side.
The IDF said soldiers were operating on the border area which fell under Israeli sovereignty.
Also on Saturday evening, the air force fired on a rocket launcher loaded with rockets and ready for use in the Beit Hanun area of northern Gaza. The launcher was struck, the IDF said, adding that it was unaware of any gunmen in the area who had been hit.
Meanwhile, the IDF is checking into an incident in which a 25-year-old Thai worker was accidentally shot in the shoulder after being misidentified by soldiers near the Lebanese border on Saturday. The man was moderately wounded after soldiers mistook him for a terrorist who had infiltrated Israeli territory from Lebanon, near Kibbutz Manara.
The IDF said shots were fired after solders' suspicions were aroused, adding that the soldiers had acted properly according to the army's rules of engagement. The worker reportedly had his face covered by a bandanna, and failed to identify himself despite requests to do so. He has been evacuated to Safed's Ziv Medical Center for treatment.
Also on Saturday evening, the Air Force fired on a rocket launcher which was loaded with rockets and ready for use in the Bet Hanoun area, northern Gaza. The launcher was struck, the IDF said, adding that it was unaware of any gunmen in the area who had been hit.
On Friday, nine Kassam rockets were fired at southern Israel from Gaza, a number of them landing in open territories within the Ashkelon Regional Council and in the vicinity of Sderot. Two people suffered shock and one woman was taken to Sderot's shock treatment center following the attacks. Islamic Jihad's al-Kuds Brigades claimed responsibility for all of the rockets.
The first barrage of five rockets slammed into the western Negev region early on Friday morning, with two landing near kibbutzim in the area. The rockets continued to land throughout the day and into the evening hours.
Since Tuesday, when IDF special units launched a cross-border raid on a Hamas tunnel and engaged Hamas gunmen in a firefight, Palestinian terror groups have fired over 50 rockets at southern Israel.
