Israeli army arrests AFP photographer in West Bank

OCCUPIED-AL-QUDS: The Israeli army on Wednesday arrested a Palestinian photographer working for the Agence France-Presse (AFP) near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, journalists at the scene said.

AFP photographer Hossam Abu Alan and Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana were arrested at 1030 GMT at the Israeli army checkpoint of Beit Einun just to the north of Hebron as they were trying to reach the nearby village of Bani Naim to cover the funeral of two militants killed earlier by the army.

Abu Alan was blindfolded and handcuffed and led to an armoured personnel carrier at the roadblock while Dana, whose camera was seized, was held at the checkpoint. When a small group of journalists tried to approach them to hand the army Abu Alan's identity card, they were dispersed by the soldiers firing in the air.

Dana was released three hours later, but Reuters said his camera had not been returned. Abu Alan was transported off in an army jeep toward an unknown destination. The head of the Israeli government press office said Abu Alan had been "detained for questioning." An army spokeswoman said Abu Alan had been arrested for entering Zone C -- areas under Israeli civil and security control that covers the majority of the West Bank -- without a government press card.