AZA,(Saba) - An explosion ripped through an Israeli armored personnel carrier in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing several soldiers during a raid in which troops shot dead three Palestinians, witnesses said.

According to TV reports, at least six soldiers were killed in the bombing.

Witnesses said they saw the military vehicle torn apart by an explosion as Israeli troops backed by armored vehicles and jeeps as well as Apache attack helicopters stormed the area right after
midnight, killing three Palestinians and wounding at least 20 others.

They said the vehicle drove over a heavy roadside bomb that was planted to the edge of Sallah al-Dein Road in the neighborhood.

The Islamic movement Hamas said its fighters ambushed the vehicle, stopping it with an anti-tank missile at a spot where they had previously planted bombs.

"The vehicle blew up and caught fire, and all the Zionists inside were killed," Hamas said in a statement, adding that it had film of the attack showing dismembered bodies.

Israeli sources said several Israelis were killed and others wounded in an explosion near Gaza City. But the army declined immediate comment except to say that key details remained under military censorship.
EM/KM

SABA