Pregnant Palestinian loses baby in West Bank clash

NABLUS, West Bank, May 10 (Reuters) A pregnant Palestinian woman was wounded and lost her baby during fighting today between Israeli troops and militants in the occupied West Bank, local medical officials said.

Residents of Ain Beit Alma refugee camp in the town of Nablus said Maha Katoumi, 30, had been shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers who fired at militants attacking them with explosives.

Doctors at a local hospital said Katoumi, in her eighth month of pregnancy, lost the baby. One doctor displayed the dead foetus to a Reuters television crew.

Asked about the incident, an Israeli army spokesman in Tel Aviv said he was checking the reports about the wounded woman.

He said a soldier was wounded in the fighting.

''Improvised grenades were thrown at a group of soldiers operating in the area overnight. The soldiers identified militants shooting at them and they returned fire ... and identified hitting two of them,'' the spokesman said.

Israel's military frequently carries out operations to detain wanted Palestinian militants in the West Bank whom it says were involved in attacks against Israelis or planning new ones.

Reuters AGL DS1157