Jerusalem, April 27 (IANS/DPA): Two armed Palestinians were shot dead during an attack on an Israeli military checkpoint in the northern West Bank.

Several Palestinians opened fire on soldiers at the Salem checkpoint in the Jenin area overnight, the Israeli military said.

Two gunmen were killed, and two automatic rifles were confiscated, the military said. There were no casualties on the Israeli side.

The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed that members from Jenin had attacked the checkpoint and were killed.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that in addition to the two fatalities, two other attackers were also injured.

There has been an increase in attacks by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank over the past two years. Since the start of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre on October 7, the security situation further deteriorated.

The Health Ministry in the West Bank says at least 468 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations, or during their own attacks since October 7.

There has simultaneously been an increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.