Israeli troops kill two Palestinians -

RAMALLAH, Aug 15 (AFP): Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in the first deadly raid in the Jericho area for months.

The health ministry said 16-year-old Qusay Omar Suleiman al-Walaji and Mohammed Ribhi Njoom, 25, were shot in the chest by Israeli forces "during an attack on Jericho at dawn today".

It was the first deadly raid since May 1 on Jericho, an ancient city in the Jordan Valley which lies near the Dead Sea.

There has been a surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent months, marked by raids by the Israeli military as well as deadly attacks by Palestinians and Israelis. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967.

Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is home to around three million Palestinians and around 490,000 Israelis.