2 Israeli troops and 1 Palestinian killed in Hebron

TWO off-duty Israeli soldiers hiking in the West Bank were killed yesterday by Palestinian gunmen but managed to fire at their assailants and kill one of them.

A woman, who was hiking with the two but escaped unharmed, told Israel Radio she and the two Israelis were in the hills outside the Palestinian town of Hebron when they were approached by a jeep carrying several Palestinian gunmen who fired at them. The army confirmed those details and said a second Palestinian assailant was seriously wounded in the firefight. Palestinian security officials confirmed one Palestinian died.

No Palestinian militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.