Israeli policemen suspended for allegedly beating Palestinian suspect

CNN Correspondents Jerrold Kessel and Fionnuala Sweeney contributed to this report

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Six Israeli policemen have been suspended for allegedly beating a Palestinian suspected of taking part in the October 12 slayings of two Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Ramallah, justice officials said on Friday.

The incident allegedly took place while the suspect was being transferred from jail to an interrogation facility.

Separately, security officials acknowledged for the first time that they had taken suspects into custody, identifying 23-year-old Thabet Asi as the man photographed at a Ramallah police station window holding his bloodied hands in the air after the soldiers' killings.

One of the slain soldiers was videotaped being thrown or falling from the window just before Asi was seen displaying his hands. It was unknown whether the soldier was already dead as he fell into the mob's midst.

CNN learned that Israeli security forces had taken at least eight Palestinians into custody in a West Bank raid.

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The Justice Ministry could not confirm that Asi was the suspect allegedly beaten by the Israeli policemen.

With television cameras rolling on October 12, the two Israeli soldiers were stabbed and beaten to death by a frenzied mob in Ramallah. The picture of Asi at the window was transmitted around the world, and enflamed the already critical tensions between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel said the soldiers wandered into a Palestinian-controlled area by mistake; the Palestinians said the two were on an undercover mission into Palestinian territory.

Israel retaliated to the killings with rocket fire, drawing Palestinian criticism for using what the Palestinians say is excessive force against them.

No charges have been filed against Asi or any other suspect.

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