Soldiers raze homes of militants

ISRAELI soldiers destroyed the houses of two suspected West Bank militants yesterday, after troops killed a child and two attackers in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip.

Israel hopes that demolishing family homes of suicide bombers and suspected militants will dissuade other Palestinians from carrying out attacks.

The two houses destroyed yesterday belonged to Iyad Sawalha, accused of ordering a suicide bombing that killed 17 bus passengers in May, and Murad Abu Asal, who blew himself up in January, wounding two Israeli soldiers.