NABLUS, West Bank, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian militant in the occupied West Bank town of Nablus on Thursday, local hospital staff said.

Local residents identified the man as Mohanad Ghandour, 32, a militant of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is part of President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction.

The West Bank death in a clash with Israeli troops is the first since Israeli forces killed four Palestinians during an arrest raid in the West Bank town of Ramallah on January 4.

The Israeli army said troops had spotted an armed man during an operation and had shot him. It said the man did not fire at its forces.

"Troops spotted an armed man whom they identified as a threat and shot at him," an Israeli army spokesman said.

Medical staff said the man died of his wounds before arriving at hospital.

Local residents reported stone-throwing clashes with troops who remained in the area and said three men had been shot and wounded. Hospital staff said one of the men was seriously hurt.

Israeli troops killed two Palestinian militants on the border fence with the Gaza Strip on Monday.

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