An assailant tried to stab Israeli soldiers south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Thursday and was shot dead, the Israeli army said.

"An assailant armed with a knife attempted to stab (Israeli) soldiers at a checkpoint in Tekoa. In response to the immediate threat, forces fired shots towards the assailant," a military statement said, with a spokeswoman confirming the suspect's death to AFP.

No soldiers were reported wounded and no immediate details were available on the assailant's identity. The vast majority of such cases have involved Palestinian attackers.