Six Palestinian gunmen were killed yesterday by Israel Defense Forces troops in the Gaza Strip, and Qassam rockets continued to fall on the western Negev. Three IDF soldiers suffered minor injuries when a Palestinian woman detonated a bomb she was carrying near the troops.

Three Palestinians were killed last night when a missile fired by an air force craft struck their vehicle in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

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The dead men are Fayek Abu al-Kusman, head of the Popular Resistance Committees in the northern Gaza Strip, and his deputy, Mahmoud al-Basiouni. Another militant, Anas Musa, 25, who was also in the vehicle, suffered mortal injuries and died later in the hospital.

IDF sources said that al-Kusman and al-Basiouni were involved in Qassam rocket attacks as well as anti-tank rocket attacks against IDF ground units. Following the attack on their vehicle, a secondary explosion occured, suggesting that the militants were carrying munitions.

Earlier, three other Palestinians were killed in exchanges of fire with IDF troops. In the morning hours, Mohammed al-Jarjawi, 20, a Hamas militant was killed during an air attack against a group of Hamas gunmen in the northern Gaza Strip.

A 22-year old, Ala Halil, was shot dead in a firefight with IDF soldiers, but the circumstances surrounding the event are still unclear.

In the early evening hours, Nasser al-Nader, 22, a militant in the Islamic Jihad was killed when an IDF force openned fired against a group of Palestinian preparing to launch a Qassam rocket.

A 57-year old Palestinian woman, Fatme al-Najar, carried out a suicide bombing on behalf of Hamas, near a group of IDF soldiers yesterday, in the outskirts of the Jabaliya refugee camp.

The soldiers had received information on plans by militants to carry out such an attack, and when she refused to stop they threw a grenade toward her. The explosion of the device she was carrying caused minor injuries to three soldiers.

Meanwhile, two Qassam rockets hit the western Negev in the morning hours. No injuries or damage were reported. Later in the day eight other rockets also hit various areas bordering the Gaza Strip, causing minor damage to support structures.