A 16-year-old Palestinian was seriously injured Tuesday evening during riots at the Askar refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus.

Eyewitnesses said soldiers fired rubber bullets from close range at the teenager, hitting him in the head. He was evacuated to the Rafidiyeh Hospital in the city.

Army operates in West Bank (Photo: Reuters)

Palestinian teenagers hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at soldiers who arrived at the camp and troops responded by firing rubber bullets and stun grenades in an effort to disperse the crowd.

Palestinian security officials said 20 IDF jeeps entered the refugee camp. The army did not say why the soldiers entered the camp, but it may be that they moved into the area in order to conduct arrest raids.

The IDF recently stepped up its activity against terror cells in the northern West Bank, where terrorists are planning terror attacks against Israeli targets.

The IDF and Israel Police boosted their presence along the Green Line as intelligence reports point to an increase in the number of terror alerts.

The IDF issued a statement saying: "During an operation in Nablus riots took place and in response soldiers used means to disperse the rioters."

The army added that the circumstances that led to the teenager's injury are being investigated.