A West Bank farmer was killed early Friday when he triggered an explosive device on his way to work in his fields, a Palestinian police official said.
The 24-year-old Palestinian was killed early Friday west of the town of Jenin by a device police identified as an Israeli mine, the official said. The Israeli army used the area in the past as a training ground, he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the Palestinian police had not issued an official statement. The Israeli military said it had received reports of the incident from Palestinians. The military denied there were any Israeli mines in the vicinity, but said the area contained Jordanian mines left over from when Jordan controlled the West Bank, before Israel captured the territory in 1967.
The Israeli military retains overall control of the West Bank, but police loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have limited authority in some areas.