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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- A funeral procession in the West Bank town of Beit Ummar erupted into clashes between Israeli forces and locals on Sunday, after a soldier in an unmarked vehicle fired towards the group.

Locals said a man, who they believed to be an Israeli settler, unexpectedly opened fire at mourners from the main road to Hebron at Beit Ummar's entrance.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said the man was an army official traveling in a civilian vehicle paid for by the army.

She said Palestinians threw rocks at a number of vehicles and the soldier's vehicle was damaged, after which he responded by firing shots in the air. An Israeli woman in a separate vehicle was lightly injured by rocks, she added.

Beit Ummar residents at the funeral of Nimir al-Qam said people were taken by surprise at the gunfire and reacted by throwing stones at the shooter.

Israeli forces shut the entrance to the town and fired tear gas towards locals following the incident, spokesman of the town's popular committee Mohammad Ayyad Awad told Ma'an.

Troops threw a tear gas canister inside the truck of Ibrahim Munir Ibregheth, who suffered injuries, locals said.

Forces closed the road and shut down street-adjacent shops after the incident, they added.