NABLUS: Israeli troops wounded dozens of Palestinians in clashes in a West Bank village yesterday after the discovery of a small commando force disguised as Arabs brought a crowd of stone-throwing villagers onto the streets, Palestinians said.
Palestinian security sources said 30 people in Tamoun village were lightly injured by rubber bullets and one was moderately wounded when a live round hit his hand, while dozens more suffered from tear gas inhalation.
They said the troops arrested a local Islamic Jihad member and left with him after uniformed reinforcements arrived to cover their exit.
The Israeli military spokesman’s office had no immediate comment but army radio said three soldiers were hit by stones.
“A special forces squad went in on an arrest operation,” it reported. “It seems that family or local residents spotted the force and then very big disturbances started... Three soldiers were very lightly injured from stones.”
Israeli security officials have noted a rise in the number of violent incidents in the West Bank since last month’s United Nations vote to raise the Palestinians’ diplomatic standing and an Israeli truce with the militant Hamas which ended eight days of fighting in Gaza and southern Israel.
AFP
