Two Palestinians killed in West Bank violence

Two Palestinians were killed by Palestinian fire during separate clashes with the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank early Thursday, Palestinian sources said.

The Palestinian health ministry said that Samer Khaled, 25, from Al-Ain camp in Nablus, was killed by a gunshot to the neck, while Yazan Afana, 26, from Qalandia camp outside Jerusalem, died from a shot to the heart.

The Palestinians' official Wafa news agency said Khaled was killed during an Israeli army raid on Balata refugee camp outside Nablus.

Provincial authorities in Nablus said Khaled was shot dead by Palestinian gunmen rather than Israeli troops.

They said the shooting followed a "verbal altercation" with other, unidentified Palestinians.

Afana was killed during an Israeli army operation in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah, the health ministry said.

A Palestinian official said his death too was the result of Palestinian, not Israeli, fire.

The Israeli army said its troops arrested six wanted men in overnight operations across the West Bank.

"During the operation (in Balata), the forces responded by firing after a shot was fired at them," the army said.

"There are claims of a dead Palestinian," it added.

The army said that during the operation in Al-Bireh, its forces were attacked with stones and petrol bombs and responded using "riot dispersal means".

It said it had been informed of the death of a Palestinian.

On Tuesday, four Palestinians and two Israelis were wounded in separate incidents near Nablus, the largest city in the northern West Bank and the scene of recurrent violence in recent months.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, when it captured the territory from Jordan.