Jerusalem, Oct 18 : Two Israelis were wounded south of the Dead Sea by two or three gunmen who crossed the border from Jordan on Friday.

According to the report, one injured was in moderate condition, while the other was slightly wounded.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the gunmen opened fire on Israeli forces who were dispatched to the scene, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Israel's state-owned Kan TV news.

Two gunmen were shot dead by Israeli forces, and an extensive search had been launched for a possible third who allegedly fled the scene, the IDF added.

According to Israel's Channel 12 TV news, the gunmen probably wore Jordanian soldiers' uniforms to disguise themselves, in an attempt to enter the village of Neot HaKikar near the border.

The Dead Sea is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest.

/IANS