A Jewish gunman was arrested after he shot and killed three Palestinians and wounded two others Wednesday in the West Bank settlement of Shiloh, about 20 km northeast of Ramallah.

Police said that the gunman, a 41-year-old driver from the settlement of Shvut Rahel, about 5 km east of Shiloh, grabbed weapon from a security guard in the industrial zone of Shiloh, shot dead two Palestinian workers in his car, and then ran deeper into the industrial area, killing another worker on the way and wounding two others.

Israeli security forces managed to restrain him and took him to a police station for interrogation.

A military doctor confirmed the deaths of the three men. One of the two wounded is in serious condition.

Police forces are currently preparing for possible riots that could break out in Palestinian communities.

In earlier August, an Israel Defense Forces soldier who had deserted from the army to protest the disengagement opened fire inside a bus in the northern Israeli town of Shfaram, killing four Israeli Arabs.

Neither attacks came as a complete surprise to police or the Shin Bet (National Security Service).

In recent months, the security establishment has received numerous warnings of possible attacks by extremist Jews against the Palestinians in an attempt to disrupt the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Source: Xinhua