GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – An explosion was heard Thursday in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Israel, and rescue officials said ambulances were on the way to the scene.

The Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its members were wounded in an Israeli ground missile strike near the Kerem Shalom crossing between Gaza and Israel. But the Israeli military, which frequently carries out strikes against Gaza militants who attack Israel, said a preliminary investigation showed it was not involved in the blast.

At times blasts are caused by explosives that go off prematurely while militants are handling them.