Israeli Soldiers Raid West Bank Village after Settlers Attack

NABLUS, September 16, 2011 (WAFA) – Israeli soldiers raided the West Bank village of Qusra, near Nablus, on Friday shortly after Jewish settlers broke into the village and were confronted by local residents, according to witnesses.

They said settlers attempted to enter the village to damage property when local watch groups noticed them.

The village watch group apprehended the settlers for some time before letting them go, but one of them opened fire at the village residents shooting one resident in the arm.

An Israeli army force raided the village shortly after this incident and clashed with residents, said the sources.

The soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the village residents and journalists covering the event.

At least 11 Palestinians were hurt by the army crackdown, four of them photojournalists, one of them hit by a tear gas in his hand.

The tear gas canisters caused fire to the fields, said the local residents.

Palestinians have started to form watch groups in the Nablus area villages to protect the villages and their residents following a sharp rise in settler attacks on the villages.

Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA -