Ramallah, Apr 30 (IANS): A 27-year-old Palestinian was killed and three others were injured during clashes with by Israeli soldiers near the West Bank city of Qalqilya, authorities said on Saturday.

Yahia Odwan was killed during clashes that broke out late Friday night in the village of Azoon, Xinhua news agency quoted the Palestinian Ministry of Health as saying.

Although Israeli authorities were yet to comment on the incident, the Jewish state's media said that Odwan is a former prisoner who was recently released from an Israeli jail.

He tried to carry out an attack against the soldiers in the area, who then chased his car and opened fire on it.

The killing of Odwan coincided with a shooting attack carried out by Palestinian gunmen near the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the West Bank, Israeli media reported.

An Israeli security guard was killed, and soldiers and security services have launched a massive hunt for the suspects.