RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM - At least five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the West Bank city of Tubas, Palestinian medical and security sources said on Wednesday.

Israeli military forces stormed the city and carried out a large-scale search campaign to arrest wanted people who were accused of being members of armed Palestinian factions, said Palestinian security sources.

Ahmed al-Asaad, the governor of Tubas, said the Israeli forces sent large reinforcements into Tubas and the neighboring town of Tamoun, warning of the continuation of these operations against the Palestinian people.

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Israeli army spokesperson Avichai Adraee said in a statement that Israeli forces began military operations in Tubas and Tamoun overnight, targeting the infrastructure of Palestinian armed factions, as part of its ongoing campaign in the northern West Bank.

He added that during the operation, an aircraft attacked an armed Palestinian cell.

Israel launched a large-scale raid across the northern West Bank on Aug 28, saying that the operation aimed to arrest wanted persons and prevent future attacks against Israel.

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According to the Palestinian health ministry, the operation has killed over 40 Palestinians and injured more than 140.

Meanwhile, in the Rafah area, southern Gaza Strip, two Israeli soldiers were killed when a military helicopter crashed during an overnight mission, Israel's army said on Wednesday.

A Black Hawk helicopter from the Israeli Air Force crashed when it was evacuating an injured soldier to a hospital for medical treatment. Seven other soldiers were injured and were subsequently evacuated for medical care, according to the army's statement.

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"An initial inquiry indicates that the crash was not due to enemy action," said the statement. The cause of the incident is under further investigation by a committee appointed by Air Force Commander Tomer Bar.

It added that the Air Force's operational activities remain unaffected.