IRTAS - Israeli tanks and troops briefly raided a Palestinian-ruled village near the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Tuesday and arrested three Palestinian militants before withdrawing, sources from both sides said.

Five tanks and several dozen troops entered the village of Irtas before dawn, encountering fire from local Palestinian gunmen, Palestinian security sources said.

Four Palestinians were wounded in the ensuing exchange of fire, three of them security officers and one a civilian, they said.

The Israeli army said it arrested a senior militant from the Islamic Jihad group and two other Palestinians suspected of "involvement in terror activities". The troops left three hours later.

A Reuters correspondent at the scene said at least four cars had been destroyed during the raid.

Palestinian gunmen from the nearby town of Beit Jala then opened fire on the Jewish settlement of Gilo, which Israel considers a neighbourhood of Jerusalem. Palestinian sources reported return fire from Israeli troops in Gilo, which the army denied.

There were no reports of injuries.

Israel has frequently launched raids into Palestinian-ruled territory during a 16-month-old Palestinian uprising against occupation to search for militants it says are behind attacks on Israelis.

The incursions, which have at times lasted for several weeks and triggered fresh fighting between the sides, have drawn international criticism. Nampa-Reuters