Gunmen kill three Israeli troops

Gun attacks on Israeli traffic in the area have been frequent

The Israeli army says three soldiers were killed by Palestinian gunmen in an ambush near Ramallah in the West Bank on Sunday.

In a statement, the army said the gunmen attacked an army foot patrol in the Palestinian village of Ein Yabrud, east of Ramallah. A fourth soldier was wounded.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades group later claimed responsibility, saying it was avenging Palestinian deaths.

Reports said the gunmen opened fire with three automatic rifles at close range. According to Israel Radio, they also threw an explosive device at the soldiers before opening fire.

"A patrol of four of our soldiers was attacked from behind by four terrorists... They surprised the soldiers and opened fire and killed three," said Major-General Moshe Kaplinsky, commander of Israeli forces in the West Bank.

An Israeli security source said the militants fled the scene in a vehicle that was waiting for them nearby.

Israel called up several thousand army reservists on Sunday, with an army spokeswoman predicting "another wave of terror" from Palestinian militants.

Israeli sources said troops put Ein Yabrud under curfew and carried out searches after the attack.

The BBC's Barbara Plett in Jerusalem says that the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades have been active in the area where the latest attack occurred.

'Madmen'

Israeli Justice Minister Yosef Lapid condemned the shooting, saying the Palestinians did "not realise the disaster they are bringing upon themselves".

Israel has a heavy army presence in the West Bank

"These madmen causing us sorrow and pain are also causing the Palestinians a deterioration into helplessness," he told Israeli television.

The ambush comes after a week of violence in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

Fourteen Palestinians have been killed during Israeli operations in refugee camps around Rafah and searches for secret tunnels used by militants to smuggle weapons have left an estimated 1,000 people without homes.

The Israeli army announced on Sunday it was calling up five reserve battalions - each composed of at least 500 troops - on the orders of Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz.

The reservists are due to replace regular troops serving in the Palestinian territories.