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Forensic team arrives at the crime scene.
Police in KwaZulu-Natal say the two crime intelligence police officers who were ambushed by armed suspects earlier on Thursday in Mount Edgecombe north of Durban were on an undercover operation.
One officer was killed and another wounded in a crossfire with suspects.
Speaking at the scene, South African Police Service’s Major-General Anthony Gopaul says the suspects abandoned and burnt their getaway vehicle.
He says the suspects had been following the officers for some time and attempted to stop them.
Meanwhile, Gopaul says the incident serves as a reminder to officers to use their firearms in self-defense when necessary. He added that it is still unclear whether the officers were able to return fire.
Gopaul further confirmed that investigators are currently processing three crime scenes and that a manhunt for three suspects has been launched.
“We’ve made the call to police officers that we have trained them, we have equipped them, we trained them in how they should retaliate in the threats against them. Also, in terms of Section 49, it says they must use appropriate action relevant and equivalent to the force and in this instance, it is gunfire. Gunfire, they cannot be any other way for them to protect themselves or their life around them, it is to retaliate with gunfire and similarly our call is on police officers to use the training and the tools we give them.”
Two Crime Intelligence police officers were ambushed. One died at the scene and the other rushed to hospital injured.
Credit: Mlondi Radebe pic.twitter.com/C3iGiaC2Yc— SABC News (@SABCNews) April 30, 2026
VIDEO | Gopaul says the police officer who survived the incident is in a critical condition:
