An Israeli army spokesman officially announced that two Israeli soldiers were killed on Friday in a gun battle with Palestinian militants near the border between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel, Israeli Radio reported.

The spokesman told the radio that one Israeli army officer and one soldier were killed in an ambush.

He added that two other soldiers were injured in the incident, one with moderate wounds while the other lightly injured.

Earlier, it was reported that two Palestinians were killed in the clashes.

Three Palestinian militant groups had claimed responsibility of the ambush, the gun battle and the killing of the two Israeli soldiers.

The groups include Al-Qassam Brigades, Gaza-ruling Hamas movement's armed wing, al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement and al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah party.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, Gaza emergency chief, told reporters that two Palestinians were killed and three wounded by Israeli artillery shelling near the border between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel.

Right after the two Israeli soldiers were killed, Israeli helicopters struck several targets east of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, witnesses and security sources said.

The witnesses said that the helicopters fired several air-to- ground missiles at empty fields in Abu T'eima and al-Zanna neighborhoods east of the city.

Ambulances, firefighters and rescue teams have arrived at the targeted scene. No injuries or damages were reported.