This story has been updated: Update: 5 men in police custody after gun battle in CBD

Ladysmith KZN: An attempted armed robbery at a shop in the Plaza shopping centre led to a gun battle between six armed suspects and reaction wardens this morning (August 6).

Responding to the robbery, reaction wardens gave chase and cornered a suspect at the intersection of Alexandra Street and Forbes Street.

The suspect opened fire, striking the security vehicle multiple times. As the wardens exited the vehicle, they returned fire, hitting the suspect.

The man collapsed to the ground, lying in a pool of blood.

Police responded quickly and cordoned off the crime scene as the wounded suspect writhed in agony on the ground, while a large crowd of bystanders looked on.

Emergency services arrived shortly thereafter and the suspect, still alive, was taken to hospital.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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