KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian serviceman shot dead three fellow air force personnel at a military base before killing himself on Friday, police said, a rare case of gun violence in the Southeast Asian nation, reports AFP. 

The serviceman, who was supposed to be undergoing a coronavirus quarantine, snatched the firearms from a guard post, according to local media reports.

Police said the serviceman went on the rampage at around 7:30 am (2330 GMT Thursday) at the air force base in Sarawak state, on the Malaysian part of Borneo island.

He killed two men on the spot while the third managed to drive to a health clinic before succumbing to his injuries.

After shooting his colleagues, the serviceman turned the gun on himself. Authorities are investigating his motives, which remain unclear.

"We are shocked and horrified by the shooting," Sarawak police chief Aidi Ismail told AFP

"Malaysia is a peaceful country, we never expected such an incident."

Malaysia is currently battling its worst virus surge driven by the highly contagious Delta variant.