GAZA, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), said Sunday that its militants traded fire with Israeli troops who tried to storm the neighborhood of Tal al-Sultan west of Rafah.

    The group said in a leaflet that its militants exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers who came from the settlement of Rafeah Yamwest of Rafah to storm the neighborhood.

    Palestinian witnesses said they saw that more than 20 well-equipped Israeli soldiers, backed by armored vehicles, were patrolling the outskirts of Tal al-Sultan and tried to get inside.

    "Our militants confronted the soldiers and forced them to retreat after an half-an-hour gunbattle," the leaflet said.

    Meanwhile, Israeli army sources said that Palestinian militants fired several mortar shells at settlements in southern Gaza Strip.

    The sources said that a Palestinian militant was wounded at predawn near the settlement of Atsmona, adding Palestinian militants opened fire six times at the settlement but caused noinjury. Enditem