Israeli forces have shot dead two men belonging to the Islamic Jihad group during an operation in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.

Mohammed Jawabreh, 24, and Khaled Abu Ali, 25, died in an exchange of fire with Israeli special forces trying to arrest them, a Palestinian official said on Tuesday.

An Israeli army spokesman said forces took up position around a house near Jenin to arrest "two terrorists" who were hit when they tried to escape.

They were found wearing flak jackets with two M-16s next to their bodies, the spokesman said.

An Israeli soldier was wounded and six Palestinians arrested during the raid.

Islamic Jihad is the military wing of the Fatah movement, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

PHOTO CAPTION