Ramallah, Apr 12 (IANS): Two Palestinian militants were killed on Tuesday in an exchange of fire near an Israeli settlement northeast of the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

Palestinian sources said that the two Palestinians were identified as Saud Al-Titi, an officer with the Palestinian Authority security forces, and Mohammed Al-Bouf, who had respectively spent 14 years and seven years in Israeli prisons, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli army said in a statement that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers near the village of Deir al-Khatb, northeast of Nablus, after they opened fire at the settlement of Elon Mora.

Meanwhile, two other Palestinians were injured by Israeli soldiers near the village, said Director of Ambulance and Emergency in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Ahmed Jibril.

He said that one of them was injured in the shoulder and was taken to the hospital in Nablus, adding that the Israeli army forces prevented the PRCS ambulances from reaching the other casualty.

Israel Radio reported that the Israeli army ambushed an armed Palestinian group that opened fire toward the Elon Moreh settlement, and confiscated an M-16 firearm and a pistol from the possession of the two Palestinians who were "neutralized."

According to official Palestinian figures, the tension between Israel and the Palestinians has killed 98 Palestinians since early January. Israeli sources said that 19 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank.