Israeli aircraft fired on Palestinian fighters who had attacked troops in the occupied West Bank, the military has claimed, and officials said six Palestinians were killed in the air strike.

An Israeli border police officer was killed and others wounded when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device during operations in the West Bank city of Jenin, Reuters quotes the military and police as saying.

A helicopter helped rescue them with covering fire, the military said, adding that an aircraft fired at a “terrorist squad that hurled explosives and endangered our forces, a number of terrorists were killed.”

The Palestinian health ministry said six Palestinians were killed in the strike that it said had targeted people who had gathered at the site. Four of those killed were brothers, according to family members.

The strike comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the region.