UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Thursday said he welcomed Israel's announcement of an enquiry into the shooting of two Palestinian teenagers.
"The secretary general was saddened to learn of the killing of two teenage boys in the West Bank (on Wednesday)," Annan's spokesman said in a statement.
"He took note of the suspension of the senior (Israeli army) officer involved and welcomes the government of Israel's announcement of a full investigation of the incident," the statement said.
The pair were killed during clashes between troops and stone-throwing Palestinian youths in Beit Liqyah village, Palestinian medical sources said, although the Israeli army has said it has information about only one death.
An initial investigation found the officer decided to open fire at the lower body of one of the chief instigators of Wednesday night's protest as he feared for the life of a group of around six soldiers, a military source said.
Earlier attempts to disperse the crowd of around 300 protestors with teargas and rubber bullets had been unsuccessful.
05/05/2005 17:30 GMT