GAZA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed a Palestinian militant in the Gaza Strip on Saturday after rockets fired from the Hamas-controlled territory hit a town in southern Israel, Hamas's armed wing said.

An Israeli military spokesman in Tel Aviv said "two armed terrorists" were attacked.

Hamas's Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades said a member of the group, "on a mission near the Israeli frontier", was killed and another three of its fighters were wounded in an air strike in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun.

The Israeli spokesman said no air strike was carried out.

Hours earlier, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that damaged houses and cars in Sderot, in southern Israel.

No one was hurt in Sderot, a frequent target of crude rockets fired by militants in the Gaza Strip.

Israel often carries out air strikes and raids in the Gaza Strip to try and stop militants from firing rockets at southern parts of the Jewish state. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Jeffrey Heller, Editing by Richard Williams)

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