Police open murder probe after man found dead in southern Bedouin town

Police said Monday they were investigating a suspected murder after a man was killed in the southern Bedouin-majority town of Hura.

The 30-year-old was found with signs of violence on his body, police said. It was unclear who notified police of the incident.

First responders said he was unconscious and lacked vital signs when they arrived on the scene.

The medics took the man, who was in critical condition, to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba while trying to resuscitate him. He was declared dead after arrival at the hospital, police said.

Investigators arrived on the scene and began collecting evidence and searching for suspects. According to the Walla news site, police suspect the incident was the result of a conflict between rival clans.

Since the beginning of the year, 84 members of the Arab community have been killed in violent crime incidents, far higher than the total at this time last year, according to the Abraham Initiatives watchdog group.

The vast majority of the killings were caused by gunfire and six of the fatalities were women, the group’s figures show.