GAZA, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Two Japanese, a man and a woman, survived a kidnapping attempt on Monday by Palestinian militants in Rafah of southern Gaza, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.

    The sources said the Japanese woman and her cousin are peace activists working as volunteers for a Palestinian nongovernmental organization in Rafah.

    The two were walking to work in the neighborhood of al-Barazil in Rafah as several militants in a car tried to kidnap them, but they managed to run away until went into the building where they worked and then called the police, the sources said.

    The police immediately arrived at the scene and started to investigate the incident, the sources said, adding that the militants have escaped.

    This failed kidnapping attempt came on the heels of another similar incident on Monday, during which an Italian was briefly kidnapped in Khan Younis by militants.

    Such brief kidnappings were not rare in Gaza as discontented militants used this as a way to press Palestinian authorities to address their various problems.

    A British woman and her parents were kidnapped in Rafah last week and were released three days afterwards. Enditem