Israeli soldiers kill two Palestinians near Nablus

JERUSALEM, Feb 15 (AFP) - Israeli troops shot and fatally wounded two armed Palestinians late Tuesday near Nablus in the West Bank, an army spokeswoman said.
"Israeli soldiers spotted two armed Palestinians who were approaching (the Jewish settlement of) Har (eds: correct) Brakha, south of Nablus, opened fire on them, killing one and wounding the second," she said.
The spokeswoman said the injured man later died of his wounds, adding they had been carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles.
Palestinian security sources said there had been an exchange of fire between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the area, despite pledges from both sides of a halt to attacks.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of the mainstream Fatah group, said the two men were activists of the group, naming them as Issam Hamza, 27, and Mahyub Qinni, 24.
The latest deaths brings to 4,734 the number of people killed since the September 2000 outbreak of the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, including 3,679 Palestinians and 981 Israelis.

02/15/2005 21:05 GMT - AFP