2 Palestinians killed during gunbattle with Israeli troops

2 Palestinians killed during gunbattle with Israeli troops

Israeli troops killed at least two Palestinian militants during a gunbattle early Wednesday morning in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian security officials said.

The deaths occurred when Israeli troops surrounded a house to arrest a wanted Islamic Jihad militant inside and a firefight broke out, according to Palestinian security officials and the Israeli army.

The bodies of two Islamic Jihad militants were recovered and Palestinian officials were looking for the body of a possible third dead militant.

The fighting continued throughout the morning and the army was using a bulldozer to destroy part of the house, witnesses said.

Israel routinely conducts arrest raids looking for militants in West Bank cities, reports the AP.

I.L.