Militant killed in West Bank raid

Israeli forces have ended a two-day operation in Nablus

Israeli troops have shot dead a Palestinian militant in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

An Israeli army spokesman said troops opened fire on the armed man as he got out of the taxi.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - a militant group linked to the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas - said the man was one of its members.

Israeli troops have now withdrawn from the Old City in the heart of Nablus, after a two-day incursion.

The Israeli army said nine Palestinian militants had been arrested and several weapon caches uncovered during the Nablus raid.

Five Israeli soldiers were hurt, two of them seriously, by a bomb detonated by Palestinian militants during the same operation on Thursday.

Troops detained at least 30 people and imposed a curfew on central Nablus.

Correspondents say the Nablus operation, the biggest for several months, was an indication that Israel was not giving up on its campaign against pro-Fatah militants even though it is supporting Mr Abbas in his struggle against the radical Islamist movement Hamas.