Palestinian gunmen kill Israeli soldier in West Bank

Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the Israeli military said, and a local armed group claimed responsibility for the roadside ambush.

The shooting took place near a Jewish settlement located between Nablus and Jenin, Palestinian towns which have seen a half-year of intensified army raids launched by Israel after a spate of lethal street attacks in its cities.

Announcing the soldier’s death, a military spokesman said searches were under way for the gunmen, who escaped in a car. The “Den of Lions”, a group of Nablus gunmen with loose factional affiliations, claimed responsibility in a statement.