Five suspects were killed in separate shootouts with police in Eastern Cape over the weekend. In Komani, two alleged extortionists were killed in a shootout with the Technical Response Team while in a vehicle linked to a kidnapped Chinese national. The police were acting on intelligence information and had been tracking the suspects.
In Tlokoeng, three suspects were killed after opening fire on the National Intervention Unit. Police responded in self-defense, killing the suspects. “During a stop, the suspects opened fire on the police and police retaliated in self-defense, fatally wounding both occupants. Members of the National Intervention Unit were following up on intelligence information when they spotted a vehicle with the suspects. The suspects opened fire and then a shootout ensued. All three were fatally wounded, three vehicles and firearms were seized,” says police Provincial Spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana.
The police operation resulted in the recovery of several vehicles and firearms, and the investigation is ongoing. The police have not released further details about the kidnapped Chinese national or the motive behind the shootouts. The incidents highlight the ongoing efforts of the police to combat crime and violence in the Eastern Cape region.
