Israeli troops kill Palestinian attack suspect in West Bank

Israel's military says troops have killed a Palestinian male suspected of trying to attack soldiers at a West Bank intersection

Israel Palestinians (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Israeli troops on Tuesday shot and killed a Palestinian male suspected of trying to attack soldiers at a West Bank intersection, the military said.

The Israeli army said the alleged assailant attempted to stab troops near the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank.

It said one soldier blocked the suspect, while his commander shot him. It did not say how close he got to the soldiers, but it said no soldiers were wounded. No photos or video of the incident were immediately available.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the alleged attacker as Atallah Mohammad Riyan, a 17-year-old resident of the nearby village of Qarawat Bani Hassan.

Israel has seen a series of shootings, stabbings and car-ramming attacks in recent years, mostly carried out by lone Palestinian attackers in the West Bank with no apparent links to armed groups.

Palestinian and Israeli rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force in some instances, and of killing some suspected attackers who could have been apprehended.