Gaza gunmen hit Israeli helicopter: Hamas militants

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militants hit an Israeli helicopter gunship in the northern part of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Friday, a spokesman for the Islamist group's armed wing said.

The Israeli army declined to comment on operational details but Israel's Channel One television said the helicopter suffered some damage and was forced to return to base. There were no casualties among the crew of two, the report added.

"This afternoon our anti-aircraft crew opened fire at an Israeli aircraft over north Gaza, we know that it was hit," said Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades, Hamas's military wing.

Abu Ubaida said Hamas would continue to try to target Israeli aircraft with ever-improving munitions at their disposal.

"This is a message from the Qassam Brigades that we are doing our utmost to confront Zionist planes ... and we will continue to try to hit them with more accurate weapons," he told Reuters.

Israel frequently uses its far superior military power, including fighter jets, helicopter gunships and unmanned aerial vehicles to target militants who launch rockets from the coastal enclave into the Jewish state.

The television report said it was the first known case in which Gaza militants had managed to hit an Israeli aircraft.

Israel has alleged that during a breach of the Gaza border with Egypt in January militants smuggled through more advanced weapons than had been available to them previously. It is not known what type of munitions hit the helicopter.