A 10-year-old Palestinian boy sustained moderate wounds Saturday after masked men assaulted him near the West Bank outpost of Ramat Migron.
Police forces detained 13 settlers on suspicion of involvement in the incident.
The initial Palestinian report on the assault was received by Israel's Civil Administration in the territories. IDF forces rushed to the site, located the wounded boy and alerted police.
Police officers quickly launched a manhunt for suspects.
The injured boy is a member of the Bedouin community in the Judean Desert and was herding sheep at the site. He was evacuated to a Ramallah hospital by the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Medical officials said the boy sustained blows to his head and cuts. Police officials discovered metal rods at the site of the incident apparently used by the assailants.
While the circumstances of the incident were not initially clear, the Judea and Samaria police detained 13 settler suspects, who were not cooperating with authorities.
All the detained suspects are teenagers, aged 16 to 18, police officials said.
First published: 18:20, 08.20.11