Israeli soldiers killed in ambush

Palestinian gunmen have ambushed an Israeli army patrol in a West Bank town, killing three soldiers.

Yesterday’s attack came a few hours after Palestinians in Gaza fired rockets at Israeli towns, and Israeli forces wound up a phase of a wide-ranging operation in a Palestinian refugee camp on the Egyptian border.

Security sources said Palestinians ambushed an Israeli army foot patrol in the Palestinian village of Ein Yabrud, east of the West Bank town of Ramallah. Three soldiers were killed and another was seriously wounded, they said.

The area has been the scene of frequent Palestinian gunfire attacks against Israeli military and civilian vehicles. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Israel TV said that because of the severity of the attack, Israeli forces were likely to enter Ramallah, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been trapped in his headquarters for nearly two years.

Israel Radio reported that soldiers imposed a curfew on Ein Yabrud and were searching for the attackers, who escaped.

The last serious attack of its kind in the area was in February last year when four Palestinian gunmen opened fire an Israeli military checkpoint at nearby Ein Arik, killing six soldiers before escaping.