One Palestinian dead and 15 injured in heavy clashes

One Palestinian was killed and 15 were injured in fierce gunbattles between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in Ramallah on Wednesday The clashed erupted when troops entered the West Bank city to arrest militants, Palestinian security officials said.

Photo: One Palestinian dead and 15 injured in heavy clashes

Palestinian Preventive Security said an undercover Israeli unit came into town in a car that was subsequently torched. One Palestinian was killed from a live bullet to the eye and 15 were injured from rubber bullets in the gun battle, hospital officials said. The fighting took place in Ramallah's central Manara Square . The army said Israeli forces were in the city for an attempted arrest when they were confronted with a very large riot, and shots fired toward the troops. The army said its forces fired in the air and were not aware of any casualties.

The streets of central Ramallah were deserted except for a few jeeps, as smoke was rising from buildings near the central square in town. Red-colored smoke could be seen in the distance. As the Israelis began pulling out of the square they were pelted with hundreds of rocks and a mob of people came running into the square chasing the departing jeeps and pelting them with stones. Palestinians then flooded into the streets as someone was carried into an ambulance by a group of people, reports the AP.

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