RAMALLAH, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli troops on Wednesday killed an Islamic Jihad (Holy War) commander during an operation near the West Bank town of Tulkarem, the movement said.

    In a press statement, Jihad said that Saleh Karkour, a 22-year-old activist, was killed during clashes with Israeli troops which surrounded a house in Sida neighborhood to the north of Tulkarem.

    According to residents, a number of Israeli tanks and army jeeps stormed the city, surrounded a house and started to demolish it with a bulldozer amid exchange of fire.

    In the end, the bulldozer picked up the body of the militant from the rubble, the witnesses said, adding the Israeli forces were still operating in the town.

    The incident came as Egypt was trying to reinforce ceasefire between Israel and armed Palestinian groups.

    In its statement, the Islamic Jihad vowed that "the retaliation will be in the depth of the Zionist (Israeli) entity."