Israeli tanks enter Jenin refugee camp

Israeli troops in armoured vehicles entered the Jenin refugee camp before dawn on Friday.

The army says they are searching for militants who eluded capture during heavy fighting last month.

Exchanges of gunfire broke out shortly after the Israeli forces reached the camp around 3.30am local time, witnesses say.

But the army says its forces did not come under heavy fire and intend to withdraw as soon as it arrests the suspects it wants.

The military declined to say how many people it is seeking, and there is no immediate word on casualties.

The Israeli forces also surrounded the city of Jenin, in the northern West Bank, but the target of the operation is the adjacent refugee camp, a stronghold for militants, the army says.