Israeli troops and special forces engaged in a lengthy battle with armed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Israeli police said, killing “a number” of Palestinians.
Police said the battle deep in the city of Nablus erupted during an arrest raid, when gunmen barricaded themselves in the suspect’s home.
Police said an unspecified “number” of armed Palestinians were killed and no Israeli forces were injured.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said two men were killed in the clashes and identified them as Aboud Sobh, 29, and Muhammad Al-Azizi, 22.
The Israeli military said a violent protest broke out as troops were operating in Nablus, with protesters throwing explosive devices at soldiers and opening fire on them. The soldiers fired.
The army continued to operate in another area of the West Bank, where another brief exchange of fire occurred.
Israeli forces have carried out near-daily incursions into the West Bank for months in an attempt to quell a series of Palestinian attacks on Israelis that have since subsided.
The military has faced resistance during some of these raids, which in several cases have turned deadly.
Palestinian attacks on Israelis earlier this year killed 19 people. More than 60 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year, according to an official Palestinian count.
