RAMALLAH, Oct. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian security chiefs announced on Sunday that militants of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of the dominant Fatah movement, will be merged into security apparatuses.

    "The question of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades would be resolved soon by merging its members into our security apparatuses," Interior Minister Nasser Yousef told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and chiefs of security apparatuses in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

    He said the merge will take place within the coming weeks. Meanwhile, five training camps will be set up in the West Bank for the merged militants, Yousef added.

    The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has been involved in scores of armed attacks against Israelis during the past five years of uprising.

    Although the brigades remains loyal to the ruling Fatah led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, it has refused to lay down its arms as long as Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories exists.

    Israel has urged Abbas to disarm the militant groups before a resumption of peace talks on a Palestinian statehood under the roadmap plan. Enditem