(Updates army comment)

GAZA, March 6 (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike killed four Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the Islamic Jihad militant group and the Israeli army said.

The Islamic Jihad said four of its members were killed in the missile strike near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. It said they were planting an explosive device to target Israeli army patrols.

An Israeli army spokesman said the attack was aimed at a number of gunmen who were planting explosives in the same area an Israeli soldier was killed earlier on Thursday. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Charles Dick)

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