Jerusalem, Dec 1 (IANS): A Palestinian woman stabbed an Israeli civilian with a knife in the West Bank Monday morning and was shot and seriously wounded by security forces, Israeli media and the military reported.

Earlier media reports said the woman stabbed an Israeli soldier and was shot and killed.

The incident took place near a central junction in Gush Eztion, a settlement south of Jerusalem, used daily by thousands of commuters, Xinhua reported. The suspected assailant emerged from a vehicle before launching the attack.

The victim sustained slight injuries after being stabbed in the shoulder and was treated by paramedics.

Troops from a nearby Israeli military post rushed to the scene and shot the attacker, whom Palestinian media identified as Amal Takata, in her 20s.

The attacker was taken in serious but stable condition to a hospital in Jerusalem. A search yielded a second knife that she was carrying, Israel's Ynet News said.

The Israeli military would not immediately confirm the details, saying only that security forces "overpowered" the suspected attacker and evacuated her for medical treatment. Security forces cordoned off the area and were searching for the vehicle that dropped off the assailant at the junction, according to Ynet News.