Aug 13, 2008, 13:46 GMT
Berlin - German police arrested two men of Turkish origin Wednesday in connection with a shooting at an ice cream parlour in the city of Ruesselsheim in which two men and a woman were killed, the prosecutor's office said.
Police spokesman Stefan Mueller said around four men had been seated at a table in the De Rocco cafe when they were attacked by a group of similar size at around 8 pm on Tuesday evening.
One of the attackers, a Turkish man aged 26, died in the ensuing shoot-out, while a 29-year-old Turkish man from the group sitting at the table also died.
Media reports said the men came from the large Kurdish community in the region.
A third man, also thought to belong to the attacking group and the brother of the dead 26-year-old, was seriously injured. Mueller said he was no longer in danger and was under police guard before appearing in court.
A 55-year-old woman, described by Mueller as an innocent bystander, also died as a result of internal bleeding after being hit in the attack that took place in a pedestrian zone near the station in the city, which lies to the south-west of Frankfurt.
Mueller said police had searched several premises in the region and arrested two men of Turkish origin, aged 28 and 49.
Police did not confirm reports that the killings could be linked to drug deals or unpaid gambling debts. Nor did they link the shooting to organized crime.
Last year six people died in a shooting outside a pizzeria near the main station in the city of Duisburg.
Police investigations centred on organized crime gangs in southern Italy, in particular the 'Ndrangheta, and several arrests were made.
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