Israeli army arrests 3 armed Gazans inside security fence

JERUSALEM, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army captured on Tuesday three Gazans who have entered the Israeli territory with knives and grenades.

Footprints were discovered in Israeli territory adjacent to the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip. After searching the area, the troops apprehended three suspects armed with knives and grenades, said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

The three suspects crossed the Gaza security fence and traveled approximately 20 km into Israeli territory, and the tools that were used to cut through the fence were also recovered, said the army.

The IDF said that the infiltration could have had dangerous consequences. Circumstances related to the incident are being reviewed, and the incident has ended and normal routine has been restored, said the Israeli army.

Palestinians from the Gaza Strip regularly try to cross into Israel. They were spotted and captured by soldiers who monitor security cameras, the Israeli media reported.

A statement issued by the police said that the three were being questioned and police bomb disposal experts were at the scene.

The police also said that the police heightened security in the south after suspicions of an infiltration into Israel from the Gaza Strip.

It was the second infiltration by Gazans within the recent week. On Saturday, the security fence was damaged by four Palestinians and they attempted to arson an engineering vehicle, said the Israeli army.

In response to the incident, Israeli fighter jets struck a target in a military compound belonging to the Hamas in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on Saturday night. Enditem