Ramallah, Dec 8 (IANS): A Palestinian, who reportedly launched a drive-by shooting attack on an Israeli military post, was killed by Israeli soldiers east of the West Bank city of Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian authorities said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement that Mujahid Hammed, 32, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers near the town of Silwad, east of Ramallah.

Silwad mayor Ra'ed Hammad told Xinhua that a group of Israeli soldiers, who were chasing Hammed in nearby mountains, shot him and held his body, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that earlier in the day, Hammed fled the scene after he opened fire on an Israeli military post near Ramallah on a passing vehicle but caused no injuries, prompting Israeli troops to launch a manhunt in nearby areas.

"During the pursuit, the suspect spotted the soldiers, got out of the vehicle, and fired at them. The soldiers responded with live fire and neutralised the assailant," the Times of Israel quoted an Israel Defence Forces statement as saying.

Video clips circulated on Palestinian social media referring to Hammed's death show a man lying still on the ground next to a car with bullet holes.

Tension in the West Bank between Israel and the Palestinians have been mounting since March, as the Israeli military ramped up daily raids into towns and cities to arrest Palestinians accused of being behind the attacks against Israel.

Official Palestinian figures showed that since January, more than 200 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli soldiers, including 50 in the Gaza Strip. More than 20 Israelis were killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians.