3 militants killed in West Bank

2005-09-29 14:36

Jerusalem - Israeli soldiers raided the West Bank town of Jenin and a nearby village on Thursday, sparking shootouts with local fighters that left three militants dead, according to witnesses and Palestinian security officials.

The raids came as Israel entered its sixth day of a wide-ranging offensive against Palestinian militants in response to rocket attacks by Gaza militants against Israeli communities.

The army entered Jenin and the village of Burqin about 01:00 on arrest raids for wanted militants.

Soldiers in Burqin shot and killed two armed men - the targets of the arrest raid - who appeared about to fire on the force, the army said. Soldiers later found assault rifles and ammunition clips on their bodies, the army said.

Palestinians identified the men as Islamic Jihad militants Nidal Khlouf, 32, and Samar Shalaby, 24.

In Jenin, a militant fired at soldiers, who returned fire killing him, the army said. An assault rifle and ammunition were found on his body, the army said.

Palestinians identified the man as Samar Asady, 30, from Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militant group with loose ties to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' ruling Fatah movement.

The raids ended on Thursday.

- AP