Gaza border bomb wounds Israeli soldier

A bomb wounded an Israeli army officer on patrol along the border with Gaza on Tuesday, in an attack claimed by a leftist Palestinian group. "A soldier was severely wounded during a routine patrol along the fence in the Kissufim area," a military spokeswoman said of the bombing which occurred shortly before 7:00 am (0500 GMT). The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for laying an explosive device which wounded an "officer in the Givati brigade," it said in a statement. Military officials were initially unsure what had caused the explosion, but eventually established it was "an explosive device." Hamas security officials said the explosion occurred as troops were mounting an incursion into Gaza territory. "The IDF (army) will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians, and will operate against anyone who uses terror against the state of Israel," a military statement warned. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again warned he would strike back at Gaza militants, which he said were supported by Tehran. "Today we engaged in exchanges against terrorist aggression that comes from our southern border in Gaza, but it actually comes from Iran and a whole terror network that is supporting these attacks," said Netanyahu. "The way to fight terror is to fight terror, and that we shall do with great force." Defence Minister Ehud Barak noted the explosive device was rigged to a gate on the fence, and said Israel takes the attack "very seriously." "The Israeli army will react to this in the right way and at the right time," he said during a tour outside Jerusalem of the Israeli-US missile defence exercise named Austere Challenge 12. On Monday morning, Israeli troops patrolling the border came under fire from militants, prompting a series of air strikes which medics said killed two and injured another four dead and four critically wounded. Palestinian witnesses said Monday's incident occurred after troops crossed onto the Gaza side of the border.