The five men killed by KwaZulu-Natal police on Tuesday night were allegedly assassins who had gone on a killing spree and terrorised locals and businesses.
The men, according to reports, were allegedly targeting spaza shops and wholesalers.
Equipped with AK-47s and additional high-calibre weapons, the men were apprehended at a rental flat in the Cator Crest neighbourhood of Durban on Tuesday evening.
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal police, stated that when the police ambushed the feared gunmen, they were doing so as part of an intelligence-driven operation.
The men are accused of firing random shots at police through the windows when the SA Police Service national intervention unit announced its presence at the flat.
The police responded with fire, killing the five suspects instantly.
Fatal gunshot wounds
“A shootout ensued, and after the ceasefire, five suspects were found to have sustained fatal gunshot wounds,” Netshiunda said on Wednesday.
“Three shotguns, drugs, and AK-47 assault rifles were found in their possession.”
Within a span of less than two months, police in the province have eliminated 15 individuals who were under investigation for a variety of offences, such as cash-in-transit robberies, murders, robberies of businesses, and extortion.
General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the commissioner of police for KwaZulu-Natal, has declared war on criminals and vowed that law enforcement will combat fire with fire.
“Police will do everything in their power to protect KZN citizens from hardened criminals,” Mkhwanazi said.
“We won’t allow a situation where law-abiding citizens are at the mercy of brazen criminals who spill the blood of innocent civilians.”
When law enforcement cornered the men and ultimately led to their deaths, they allegedly were planning a new terror campaign.
Cash-in-transit robbers mowed down
In a separate incident, media reports state that five suspected cash-in-transit robbers were killed in an Eastern Cape shootout with police on Monday.
The shootout, according to reports, happened just hours after a robbery on the N6 in Macleantown, East London.
According to the Hawks, 20 people bombed an armoured vehicle and made off with an undisclosed amount of money.
Reports say three guards were injured during the incident.
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