Palestinian police arrest five over attack on US convoy

Palestinian police arrested five members of a militant group early today in connection with the attack on a US diplomatic convoy, in which three people died.

The five are members of the Popular Resistance Committees, a group that consists largely of former Palestinian security officials and disgruntled members of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, security officials said.

A gunfight erupted as the men were arrested in the Jebaliya refugee camp, which is near to the site of yesterday's attack in which three American security guards working for the US Embassy in Tel Aviv died.

One of those arrested was identified as Ahmed Saker, aged 25.

Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, were quick to distance themselves from the attack, and the Popular Resistance Committees issued a statement saying it was not involved.

The group was formed at the end of 2000, three months after the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. It consists of dozens of armed men, mostly Fatah breakaways or former members of the security forces. Other factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, are also represented.

The group does not have a political ideology, but believes the use of force is the only way to end Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the past three years of fighting, the group has blown up three Israeli Merkava tanks with powerful remote-controlled bombs — the same method used in yesterday's attack.

The group has also fired mortars at Israeli settlements in Gaza and border communities.

After Palestinian militants declared a unilateral cease-fire on June 29, the Popular Resistance Committee split into two wings, the General Command and the Jenin Brigades. The former hinted it was ready to halt attacks temporarily, while the latter insisted it would not observe a truce.