KwaZulu-Natal police have launched a manhunt for suspects who allegedly opened fire on police officers during an incident in Durban on Monday night.
Two suspects who had been arrested for allegedly possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition were also wounded during the attack.
Police officers from Cato Manor were conducting crime prevention operations and stop-and-search duties on Monday, 24 August, when they spotted a silver Toyota Etios parked at the Bonela Sports Field along Raymond Road.
The officers approached the vehicle and found two people inside. A search allegedly uncovered an AK-47 assault rifle and four fully loaded magazines. The two occupants were arrested.
While officers were transporting the suspects along Dunbar Road to a police station to be formally charged, they noticed they were being followed by two vehicles, a white Toyota double cab and a white Toyota Corolla Cross.
The arrested suspects allegedly warned police that the occupants of the two vehicles intended to attack them. They reportedly told officers that they had been waiting for the vehicles to deliver another AK-47 for a cash-in-transit heist allegedly planned for Tuesday, 25 August.
Police accelerated in an attempt to escape, but the occupants of the two vehicles allegedly opened fire on them.
Officers refrained from returning fire because several members of the public were in the area, raising concerns that bystanders could be caught in the crossfire.
Police instead drove tactically until they reached the safety of a police station.
The two arrested suspects sustained gunshot wounds during the incident and were taken to hospital. They remain under police guard while recovering.
The suspects involved in the shooting remain at large, and police are appealing to members of the public for information that could assist with their arrest.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the suspects is urged to contact the nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Information can also be submitted anonymously through the MySAPS App.