GAZA, May 6 (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike aimed at armed militants in the Gaza Strip killed one Palestinian gunman and wounded three others on Tuesday, hospital officials and the Israeli army said.

The strike on the group near the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip was aimed at a mortar launching squad close to the border fence with Israel, Gaza medics said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the rocket-launching crew identified hitting a number of armed gunmen in an air strike.

Gaza hospital officials said four gunmen arrived for treatment in the early hours of Tuesday and one died of his wounds.

Israel frequently carries out raids and air strikes in the Gaza Strip which it says are aimed at curbing rocket fire into southern Israeli towns and agricultural communities. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Charles Dick)

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