Militants kidnap West Bank governor

Palestinian militants beat and abducted the Palestinian governor of the West Bank town of Jenin as he drove through the city centre today, eyewitnesses and security sources said.

The Jenin leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, Zakariye Zubeydi, said the militant group was holding governor Haider Irsheid and accused him of being an Israeli collaborator who “has been involved in many crimes against our people”.