Three wanted criminals were shot and killed during a shootout with police last night. The incident happened in the Congo area in the notorious Inanda township in the north of Durban in KwaZulu Natal. The three suspects were wanted for a string of murders, including the 2023 murder of a police sergeant.

SHOOT-OUT WITH THE POLICE

KZN police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said that a multidisciplinary team, including members of the directorate for priority crimes, provincial tracking team, anti-gang unit, provincial tactical response team, as well as private security, acted on intelligence about the whereabouts of the suspects who have been on the police's radar for some time. "When the team arrived at the identified house, four suspects opened fire at the police, and a shoot-out ensued. After the shoot-out, three suspects were found to have sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were declared dead at the scene. One suspect narrowly escaped arrest and ran into the darkness," he said.

MANHUNT FOR SUSPECT WHO ESCAPED

Netshiunda said that a manhunt for one criminal, who escaped through the darkness, is currently underway. "The suspects were positively linked to the murder of a police sergeant who was a member of the KwaMashu tracking team. He was disarmed and fatally wounded with his service firearm in June 2023. Other murders include a double murder in Inanda in January 2024 as well as another two murder cases that were registered in Inanda in 2021 and 2023," he said.