Israeli Troops Kill Suspected Assailant in W.Bank

Israeli troops shot dead a suspected Palestinian assailant at the entrance to the West Bank village of Silwad on Friday, the army said.

"Forces identified a suspect running towards an (army) post in Silwad, northeast of Ramallah," a spokeswoman said.

"The force shot the suspect, resulting in his death."

Silwad, close to the Jewish settlement of Ofra, is under constant stakeout by the Israeli army seeking to prevent attacks on passing settler traffic.

A relative of the dead man identified him as Silwad resident Iyad Hamed, 37, a father of two.

The shooting took place on the road leading past the village to Ofra, his brother-in-law told AFP by phone.

It is the scene of regular clashes between Palestinian stone throwers and troops.

A wave of violence since October has killed 222 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP tally.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say, with the majority of them from the West Bank.

Others have been shot dead during protests and clashes with security forces.