The Israeli army today admitted that its soldiers fatally shot a Palestinian teenager during an operation in the occupied West Bank.

According to the Israeli military, she was accidentally hit when they fired at nearby armed persons, AP reported.

It is a rare admission of error by the Israeli military, which has been conducting daily operations to detain gunmen in the West Bank for nearly nine months.

But according to the military, their operations in the area will continue.

The Palestinian Authority first reported that 16-year-old Zanna Zakaran was killed last night in the northern city of Jenin.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, after the family searched for her for an hour, they found the body on the roof of her home after the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area.

The Israeli army's statement said an initial investigation found the girl had been hit unintentionally by gunmen on a nearby rooftop.

"It appears that the girl who was killed was on the roof of one of the houses near the shooters," the statement said.

According to the statement, Israeli forces opened fire after local militants threw incendiary bombs and opened fire on the soldiers.

The Israeli army said its commanders "regret any harm caused to non-participating civilians" but said it would continue operations.

Jenin is known as a stronghold of extremists.

The Israeli army has long been active in the area, stepping up operations after a series of deadly attacks in Israel last spring, some of which were carried out by militants from the city of Jenin, AP recalled, cited by BTA.

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