Gaza City - A Palestinian policeman was killed early Friday in an explosion in the police headquarters in Gaza City, according to an official in the de-facto Hamas government.

Ministry of Interior spokesman Ihab Ghussein said the powerful explosion killed Ala Ijleh, 20, from Gaza City.

He said Ijleh, who belongs to the bomb squad in the police force, was killed while attempting to detonate an explosive device discovered in the bomb squad section of the Arafat Police City.

No one else was hurt in the explosion, which sparked a fire in the building, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian fighters engaged an Israeli force which crossed the southern Gaza border with Israel near the town of Khuza'a, east of Khan Younis.

An Israeli army spokesman said the force was combing the border area because soldiers had spotted spotted a number of Palestinians approaching the border "in a suspicious manner."

He said armed Palestinians fired two anti-tank missiles at the troops, the first such incident since a fragile ceasefire took effect in the strip in June. (dpa)