Clashes escalate in East Jerusalem, many injured

Arab-dominated East Jerusalem witnessed largest clashes in years with nearly a dozen people injured Thursday as Palestinians clashed with the Israeli police Thursday over the murder of a teenager.

The clashes ensued after the mutilated body of Mohammed Abu Khdair, a 17-year-old from the city's Shuafat neighbourhood abducted Wednesday morning, was found dumped in a forest outside the city, Al Jazeera reported.

Israeli police said they were investigating whether the murder was a revenge attack, carried out after three kidnapped Israeli settlers were found dead earlier this week in the occupied West Bank.

The discovery of Khdair's body led to more than 12 hours of clashes in Shuafat Wednesday.

Local Palestinian youths blocked the light railway and threw stones at Israeli border police, who fired stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets.

A police spokesman said Abu Khdair was reported missing early Wednesday, the report said.

According to the witnesses, Khdair was abducted around 3.45 a.m. and thrown into a car by two or three men as he was walking to the mosque.