Violent clashes rock al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: Clashes have broken out between masked Palestinian youths and Israeli forces at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Sunday, the last day of the Muslim Eidul Azha holiday.

A statement from the Israeli police claimed young Palestinians "threw stones and fireworks at police and border police forces," who responded with "riot dispersal means".

Calm returned to the compound later in the morning and most police had withdrawn but Israeli Arab activists remained inside, news agency AFP reported.

No serious injuries reported in the latest clashes at the al-Aqsa mosque compound.

The violence follows weeks of tension and a number of confrontations at the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the holiest Islamic sites in the world. Al-Aqsa is also venerated by Jews as the Temple Mount and is considered the most sacred place in Judaism.

Muslims have been alarmed by an increase in visits by Jews and fear rules governing the compound will be changed. Jews are allowed to visit but not to pray to avoid provoking tensions.

Visits by Jews were stopped on Sunday and age restrictions on Muslim men entering the compound lifted for the Muslim Eidul Azha holiday.

Israel seized east Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, in the Six Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.