Three suspects have been shot and killed during a shootout between members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and a group of armed robbers in the Bushbuckridge area this morning July 1.

During a joint crime intelligence driven operation, comprising of members of the SAPS Limpopo Tracking Teams, Mpumalanga Tracking Teams and Bushbuckridge Tactical Response Teams, members responded to a Cash-In–Transit heist in progress at a Post Office in Bushbuckridge.

“As the group of armed robbers were busy off-loading money from the Fidelity cash vehicle outside the Post Office where they had held the security officers hostage,  the multidisciplinary team intercepted them leading to a high speed chase which led to a shootout between the suspects and the police,” Brigadier Vish Naidoo said.

Read: Fatal shooting in Tzaneen CBD

Three suspects were shot and killed. Another two suspects who were shot and wounded have been transported to a nearby health facility under police guard.

An unknown number of suspects fled the scene in a Toyota Hilux and a silver Mercedes Benz after they forcefully stopped passerby’s and thereafter hijacked them.

The Toyota Hilux was later recovered abandoned near Hazyview.

During the shootout a police member sustained a gunshot wound.

“The member has been taken to the nearest health facility where he is receiving medical treatment,” Naido said.

More in this weeks edition of Hoedspruit Herald.