A Slovak policeman shot three people dead and wounded two others in the southern Slovak town of Hurbanovo today before being taken into custody, a police spokesman said.

"This morning, a 51-year-old man shot five people. Three died after the shooting and two are in hospital," Slovak police headquarters spokesman Michal Slivka told AFP.

"The man later aimed the gun at himself. He surrendered after two hours of negotiations and was detained by the police."

Interior Minister Robert Kalinak told reporters the killer, who opened fire shortly after 10:00 am (0800 GMT), was a policeman from Hurbanovo who knew his victims.

The motivation behind the killing spree remains unclear.

Slovak media reported the shootings took place in houses inhabited by people from Slovakia's sizable Roma minority, but Kalinak refused to confirm any racial motive, saying: "The victims and the killer were of an identical nationality."

Kalinak added that "all motives will be checked by investigators."

The two wounded people, a couple, were undergoing operations Saturday -- the woman with a leg wound, the man with a shot to the chest.

"The man is in a serious condition," said Kalinak.