Militants fire at least one rocket towards Israel

June 11, 2015 7:24 PM

Last month, Gaza militants fired a rocket that landed near the port city of Ashdod, about 20 km (12 miles) north of the Gaza Strip.

Militants fire at least one rocket towards Israel

At least one rocket was fired towards Israel from Gaza on Thursday but fell short inside the Palestinian enclave, the Israeli military said, after warning sirens sounded at Israeli towns near the border.

No casualties or damage were reported and no militant group claimed responsibility.

Last month, Gaza militants fired a rocket that landed near the port city of Ashdod, about 20 km (12 miles) north of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes launched strikes in response. Israel blamed Islamic Jihad for that attack and media reports said Hamas Islamists who dominate the coastal enclave had arrested militants behind the strike.

Last week, militants launched a rocket after a Gaza shootout in which Hamas security forces killed an activist of a rival group that sympathises with Islamic State and al Qaeda.

The border area had largely been quiet since last year's July-August war, when Palestinian militants launched thousands of rockets and mortar bombs into Israel and Israeli shelling and air strikes battered the enclave.

More than 2,100 Palestinians died, mainly civilians, while 67 soldiers and six civilians were killed on the Israeli side.