Tel Aviv - An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed there was an exchange of fire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians near the border with the Gaza Strip on Saturday, but denied Palestinian claims that the incident took place on Gaza territory.

The spokeswoman said Israeli soldiers had approached the border fence in order to carry out a controlled detonation of explosive devices planted there when they were fired on by Palestinian militants.

The Israeli soldiers then returned the fire. There were no casualties in the incident, she said.

Her account, while confirming a clash, contradicted local eyewitness claims in the Gaza that a number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers had entered the Kohoza'a area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. (dpa)