Israelis seal off Nablus, kill two militants in Gaza

DOZENS of Israeli soldiers sealed off the Old City of Nablus with barbed wire and cement blocks yesterday, while troops conducted house-to-house searches in one of the biggest operations in the area in months.

Two Palestinians were wounded in clashes, hospital sources said.

Troops in Jeeps and bulldozers raided the city late on Wednesday, exchanging fire with armed Palestinians and placing residents of Nablus' Casbah under a strict curfew. The army said, during searches, troops found a belt with 44 pounds of explosives.