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Dozens of people, including police, were injured in a riot in an Israeli Druze village.

Police officers came to Pekiin, in northern Israel, on Tuesday to arrest local villagers suspected of vandalizing a cell-phone antenna tower, only to be attacked by scores of rock-throwing local youths.

At least 40 people, most of them police, were hurt in the ensuing confrontations.

Three rioters were wounded by live bullets fired by police, prompting Israeli Arab leaders to call for an investigation. Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter vowed a crackdown on those who had assaulted the police officers.

Israeli cellphone servers have come under criticism recently by environmental groups arguing that the antennas pose a health risk.

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