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Gaza militants fire rocket at southern Israel

Xinhua, June 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Militants in the Gaza Strip fired on Saturday night a rocket at southern Israel, a second such attack from the Palestinian enclave that hit the Jewish state in less than one week, Israeli officials said.

A statement by the Israeli army said that the rocket exploded in an open field south of the southern town of Ashkelon, causing no injuries or damages.

On Wednesday, two rockets hit southern Israel, again causing no injuries or damages. Israeli warplanes carried an airstrike at "terror targets" in response, a military spokesperson said.

A Jihadist Salafi organization that supports the Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the firing. It said the rockets were launched in response to the killing of one of their leaders by Hamas, which has controlled the coastal enclave since 2007.

The Salafi group and Hamas are in a struggle over the control of the Strip.

Last August, Israel and Hamas reached a fragile cease-fire agreement after a 50-day mini war in which thousands of rockets were launched to hit communities throughout Israel.

The massive military campaign last summer killed more than 2,200 Palestinians and nearly 80 Israelis, and caused huge damage to Gaza's infrastructure. Endit