Ramallah  - Only days after the Palestinian government started to implement a security plan in the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its area villages, trouble broke out Tuesday in the village of Qabatya, south of Jenin, when security forces started deployment.

Security officials and the Islamic Jihad, a strong irregular force in Qabatya, exchanged accusations that each had opened fire at the other, injuring three people, one of them - a bystander - critically.

Palestinian security officials said unidentified gunmen opened fire at one of its patrols in the village Tuesday and the force returned fire. In the exchange, a 21-year-old Palestinian was shot in the head and was reported in critical condition at a local hospital.

In another incident later in the day, Palestinian security opened fire and injured in the leg two gunmen, who turned out to be members of the Islamic Jihad's military wing, Saraya al-Quds.

In a statement, the Islamic Jihad accused the Palestinian security forces of deliberately opening fire at its members in an attempt to prevent an armed presence in the village.

The radical Islamic organization says that the US-backed security plan aims at disarming its members and arresting them, causing tension between them and the Palestinians security forces.

However, Palestinian officials say they are going to continue with the security plan in Jenin and its area villages until they put an end to lawlessness and armed presence.

They said the security forces have already arrested criminals and confiscated stolen cars and that they were proceeding to enforce law and order in the area. (dpa)