Gaza City - The Israeli army has denied claims by witnesses claimed that it attacked and killed two Palestinian militants in the northern Gaza Strip Saturday morning.

The witnesses claimed a reconnaissance drone had fired a rocket at a group of five gunmen who gathered near the border town of Beit Hanoun.

Others said a rocket the group was about to fire into Israel exploded prematurely.

Medical sources said that a man's body was brought to Kamal Adwan hospital in Jabaliya and another badly wounded man died soon after arrival. A third one was moderately hurt.

Security sources said the fighters belonged to the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), an armed group loyal to the Islamic Hamas movement. One of the dead was identified as Abdullah al-Mani'a. (dpa)