Israeli military planes fired more than 15 missiles at different targets in the Gaza Strip on late Thursday night and early Friday morning.

Palestinian witnesses said that Israeli Apache attack helicopters fired two missiles at an office building of the Interior Ministry in Gaza City on late Thursday night.

No casualties were reported and the building was empty at the time of the airstrike, said the witnesses, adding that the building was set on fire and sustained severe damages.

The Interior Ministry is headed by senior Hamas member Saeed Siam, who was not at his office when the attack occurred.

Sources in the Interior Ministry said that the building belonged to the recently-formed new security force under Hamas' command.

Meanwhile, Israeli military planes fired another two missiles at an office in downtown Gaza City, which belonged to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, said Palestinian witnesses.

Some damages were caused to the building but there was no report of any casualties, the witnesses added.

The Israeli army has confirmed the two strikes.

In addition, Palestinian security sources said that two other missiles hit an area near the only power plant in the Gaza Strip, which was located south of Gaza City, causing no casualties.

The power plant was destroyed in an Israeli air raid on early Wednesday, leading to a blackout in most areas of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli army planes also fired missiles at targets in the northern Gaza Strip and the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on early Friday.

Palestinian medics said that at least two Palestinians were injured, one of them in critical condition, during the several air raids.

Palestinian witnesses said that the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militants clashed with Israeli forces east of the Rafah town, adding that an Israeli helicopter launched a missile at the militants and seriously wounded one of them.

Meanwhile, in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian militants traded fire with Israeli soldiers east of the Jabalia town, said witnesses.

But the Israeli army said no troops took part in the fight or entered the northern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli troops were continuing a broad ground operation in the Gaza Strip on early Friday in a bid to free an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants on Sunday.

Source: Xinhua