Five wanted suspects killed in police shootout in Inanda
CRIME CRACKDOWN
In the second such incident this week, police shot and killed several men wanted for a string of violent crimes.
Image: File
In a dramatic early morning operation on Thursday, five wanted suspects were shot and killed during a shootout with police in the Bester area of Inanda, north of Durban. This incident forms part of a relentless effort by law enforcement to combat violent crime in a region plagued by criminal activities.
According to police reports, the operation was aimed at apprehending individuals with a lengthy history of serious offences, including murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery. KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the suspects, all South African nationals, had been evading capture for a while.
"These are suspects that police were looking for, for quite some time... At the end of November 2023 these suspects shot at police officers and since then they have been elusive," Netshiunda said to Newzroom Afrika.
Police intelligence indicated that the suspects were hiding in a house in Area 5 of Bester. Upon their arrival, officers announced their presence, prompting the suspects to open fire. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, the police were compelled to return fire in self-defence and to protect civilians nearby.
“During the shootout, five suspects were shot and fatally wounded,” Netshiunda said. Authorities conducted a preliminary search of the house, recovering four firearms, which could signify the dangerous nature of the alleged criminal operations the men were involved in.
Police at the scene where five suspects were killed in a shootout in Inanda on Thursday morning.
Image: SAPS
The police operation follows an incident earlier this week where two suspects linked to the shooting of four people in Ezimangweni were killed during a confrontation with officers in Amaoti, also in KwaZulu-Natal. This incident resulted in the deaths of two and left one injured, and is currently under investigation.
Both incidents are part of a broader crackdown by the police targeting violent crime in Inanda, one of the most crime-affected areas in KwaZulu-Natal. Authorities have vowed to continue intensifying their efforts to bring perpetrators of violent crime to justice, as investigations into both incidents remain ongoing.
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