GAZA, June 3 (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike injured three Islamic Jihad militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Tuesday after cross-border rockets fired from the territory wounded five Israelis.

One of the Islamic Jihad militants was critically injured in the air strike near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, medical officials and Islamic Jihad said.

An Israeli army spokesman said the air strike had targeted a single "armed Palestinian as he was preparing to launch rockets" into Israel.

The spokesman said the same area had been used by militants earlier in the day to launch five cross-border rockets at the Israeli village of Yesha, injuring five agricultural workers.

Israel frequently launches raids into the Gaza Strip, which it says are aimed at curbing cross-border rockets fired by Palestinian militants. The rocket salvoes rarely cause death or injury but sow panic in southern Israeli communities.

AlertNet news is provided by