Bodies Of 2 Hikers Found In Judean Desert

The cut and bloodied bodies of two young female hikers were found Friday afternoon in the Judean desert.

The bodies were found in Wadi Kelt, a gorge 12 miles east of Jerusalem in the occupied territories. The victims were not identified. Israel Radio said they were Russian immigrants.

The springs and monastery in the area had been a popular tourist site until the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising in the late 1980s.

Police closed off the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, causing major traffic jams. Wadi Kelt is near Jericho.

In July 1995, two Israeli teenagers were shot and killed by Palestinian militants while hiking in Wadi Kelt, and two hikers were killed in a similar attack in 1993.