Israeli forces gun down 3 suspected militants

It was the first deadly army raid since Israel completed its withdrawal of settlers and soldiers from the Gaza Strip on September 12 and pulled soldiers out of four vacated northern West Bank settlements this week.

Military sources said two militants were shot after they opened fire on troops while trying to flee arrest before dawn in the village of Illar outside Tulkarm. A third gunman who escaped was killed nearby in an exchange of fire, they told Reuters.

Palestinian witnesses identified the dead as Jamil Abu Sada, Raed Ajaj and Saed al-Ashkar, all in their 20s.

Israeli security sources said the raid was aimed at capturing members of Islamic Jihad wanted for attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers.

Israeli troops arrested a wanted Islamic Jihad man in a separate raid into the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat denounced the Tulkarm-area raid as an "assassination" operation.

In Gaza, senior Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batsh reiterated warnings of reprisals for any Israeli raid that killed or seized militants. "Israel bears full responsibility for our reactions that will follow," he said.

Palestinian leaders have condemned continued Israeli raids for wanted militants since a February ceasefire deal as counterproductive to efforts to maintain the calm.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings in Israel this year that killed 10 Israelis in all, saying it was avenging some army raids.