World Bulletin/News Desk

Israeli soldiers on Sunday burned down 12 Palestinian vehicles in Barta'a, a village southwest of Jenin in the northern part of the West Bank.

"Israeli soldiers fired teargas and stun grenades during pre-dawn clashes at the entrance to the village, burning down 12 vehicles," village council head Ahmed Qabha told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

He added that Israeli soldiers had prevented firefighters from reaching the area for more than 40 minutes to put off the fire, which led to the total destruction of the vehicles.

No casualties were reported from the fire.

Israeli authorities have not commented on the incident yet.

Tensions have been running high in the West Bank since Wednesday following the kidnapping and killing of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy by suspected Jewish settlers near Jerusalem.

The Palestinian boy's murder fell hot on the heels of the discovery of the bodies of three missing Jewish teens.

The Israeli army had detained hundreds of Palestinians following the disappearance of the settlers last month.