Militant killed in Israeli West Bank raid

NABLUS, West Bank, May 30 (Reuters) A Palestinian militant was killed today and another was wounded during a pre-dawn raid by Israeli troops into the Balata refugee camp in the town of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, local medics said.

The Israeli army was checking the report.

The fatality was the latest in a string of Palestinian deaths after Israeli troops killed five militants in two separate incidents yesterday.

Late last night, Israeli troops killed four Palestinian militants in a gunbattle in the Gaza Strip as they attempted to launch makeshift rockets into Israel. The clash was followed by an Israeli helicopter missile strike, witnesses said.

The Israeli army said troops had clashed with Palestinian militants inside the Gaza Strip for the first time since withdrawing from the territory in August after 28 years of occupation.

REUTERS VJ BST0758