Ramallah - Palestinian police stormed a village near the West Bank city of Nablus on Saturday to arrest a number of wanted criminals in a move coordinated with Israel. Ahmed al-Sharqawy, chief of Nablus police, said the operation was coordinated with the Israeli army and resulted in the arrest of "tens of wanted people in Houwara village."
Under the Oslo agreement, the Palestinian Authority (PA) holds civilian and administrative control of the village while the Israeli army is in charge of the security issues.
As a result, al-Sharqawy said the criminals had evaded "Palestinian justice and law" until Saturday, when the security services, made up of the police and the national security forces, were able to reach the village after coordination with Israel.
Samer Merib, head of Houwara local council, said the security campaign was pressing "to control the situation in the village where the security anarchy and disorder were the people's key concern."
A man was the latest victim of the disorder in the village of about 6,500 people. He was killed when fighting between clans erupted during a wedding party.
