Jerusalem, Aug 6 (IANS): A Palestinian civilian was killed in clashes with Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the Israeli military has said.

The incident occurred on Friday when a group of Israelis came to herd their sheep in an area adjacent to a Palestinian village, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday.

The Palestinian villagers hurled rocks at the Israeli settlers who responded by opening fire on them, leading to one death and four injuries, said the statement, adding a Palestinian car was burned in the clashes.

The military declared the area a closed military zone.

Several Israelis were arrested in connection with the incident, and the suspect in the shooting, who also sustained injuries during the clashes, was detained in a Jerusalem hospital, Israeli media reported.

Israeli settlers' assaults on Palestinians have increased in recent months in the West Bank since the swearing-in of the right-wing Israeli government late last year.

For more than a year, Israeli forces have intensified their raids in the West Bank in an attempt to push back on a wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis, leading to escalating friction between the two sides.