ISRAELI troops killed at least three Palestinians during a gun battle in a West Bank village today.

This latest incident in near-daily killings of Palestinians resisting the occupation of their territory occurred when soldiers raided the northern village of Jaba to arrest suspects wanted over attacks on Israeli forces in the area.

According to police, the troops were fired on by Palestinians, who shot back and killed three men, all affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group.

Israeli police released a photo of assault rifles, pistols, ammunition and other items, claiming that the items had been taken from the suspects.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the dead men as Sufyan Fakhoury, Nayef Malaisha and Ahmed Fashafsha, adding that they had been hit by Israeli fire during the raid.

The recently formed Jaba resistance group said that its fighters had opened fire and thrown explosive devices at the Israeli forces after the killing of its commander Mr Fakhoury, a former prisoner incarcerated by Israel.

It also claimed to have shot down an Israeli drone during clashes with the occupation troops.

The Jaba fighters are part of a growing trend of new armed groups across the West Bank taking up arms against the Israeli occupiers.