The Israeli army has blown up a suspected smuggling tunnel between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

Local reports say two Palestinian men were buried in the blast - but Palestinian radio says they were killed by Israeli tank fire.

The men were identified as Ziad al-Shaaer, 24, and Mohammad Qishta, 20, AFP news agency says.

The Israeli army said the tunnel was used to smuggle arms and its destruction was "regular procedure".

The military has demolished other houses in the border area which it suspects hide the entrances to tunnels.

Sealed off

The army also arrested suspected militants in separate operations in the West Bank, Israeli radio says.

Rafah - on the Egyptian border - is a flashpoint

Those detained include Mustafa Badarna, described by Israel as the commander of the military arm of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Four other Palestinians were arrested at the same time. The radio did not say where and when these arrests were made.

Israeli radio also reports that paratroopers arrested the Islamic Jihad Movement leader and his deputy in the West Bank town of Tulkarm.

Both the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been sealed off from Israel amid fears of suicide attacks by Palestinian militants during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which ends on Friday.

Since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000, almost 3,000 people have been killed - more than 2,000 of them Palestinian.