Palestinian security forces have launched a rare crackdown against local militant groups in the northern West Bank, sending in armoured cars and engaging in fierce gunbattles that have killed at least two people in the volatile area.
The raid marks an unusual step for the Palestinian Authority, the governing body for semi-autonomous pockets in the occupied West Bank that is internationally recognised but has largely lost control of militant strongholds such as Jenin, where forces operated through the weekend and into Monday.