KIBBUTZ KFAR AZA, Israel, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Israeli ground and air forces killed two alleged Palestinian terrorists Thursday at a border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, Israel's military said.
The unidentified gunmen were spotted approaching the border fence near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in northern Gaza around 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST Wednesday), officials said. The men allegedly began laying explosives at the fence, the officials said.
The men appeared to have planned to take advantage of the morning twilight to infiltrate Israel and carry out a terrorist attack, army officials indicated. Weapons found on the men's bodies were examined by the military, Ynetnews.com reported.
No soldiers were injured in the shootings.
There has been a recent rise in alleged attempts by Palestinian militants to bomb targets along the border and fire rockets at Israel, Haaretz reported.
Israel's air force carried out several strikes on the Gaza Strip last month after a barrage of mortar shells, a truck-mounted 122mm Grad rocket and a phosphorous bomb were fired at the western Negev desert and semi-desert region of southern Israel.
