By Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
The Israel Defense Forces Wednesday night said five soldiers, including one officer, were killed when an armored personnel carrier (APC) was hit while travelling through the Philadelphi Route, near Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Three soldiers were lightly injured in the incident.
The APC was hit at approximately 6 P.M. as it was performing operations aimed at uncovering weapons smuggling tunnels on the border between Egypt and Israel.
The families of the soldiers who were killed have been notified.
The APC was apparently hit by an anti-tank rocket or by a bomb, that caused explosives it was carrying to explode.
Emergency forces evacuated the wounded to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.
Palestinian sources reported that 10 bystanders were injured as a result of the blast, the force of which sprayed parts of the APC over a wide area. Some of the debris even landed in Egyptian territory across the border.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.
Israeli F-16 fighter jets and helicopters were patrolling the area immediately after the attack, as large IDF forces were moving into the area of the blast.
According to Palestinian sources, an IAF helicopter fired two missiles at targets in the area, causing casualties.
The attack came 36 hours after six Israeli soldiers were killed when a bomb ripped apart the armored personnel carried in which they were travelling through the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City.