TEL AVIV, October 11. /TASS/. The Israeli forces eliminated three terrorists during a skirmish I the southern part of the city of Ashkelon, the IDF press office reported Tuesday evening.

According to the IDF, the Israeli forces were supported by a helicopter and a drone; after the skirmish, the Israeli forces continued to search the area, the press office said.

The IDF noted that a fire broke out during this incident, with fire engines underway to eliminate the emergency.

Ashkelon (population 149,000) is located on the Mediterranean coast 57 km south of Tel Aviv and 12 km north of the Gaza Strip border; it is the nearest major Israeli city to the enclave. During the day, it was repeatedly subjected to rocket strikes by Palestinian radicals from Gaza.